


Attack on Google +

by Jacque_le_Prince



Category: Real Person Fiction, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Military, Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Asexual Character, Attack on Titan AU, Blackmail, F/F, Female Character In Command, Female Character of Color, Female Characters, Female Friendship, Female Protagonist, Female Relationships, Female-Centric, Gender or Sex Swap, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Death, Implied/Referenced Torture, Internet, Lesbian Character, Manipulation, Minor Character Death, Obsession, One-Sided Attraction, Original Character(s), Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Strong Female Characters, Technology
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-18
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2018-01-12 22:17:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 54,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1202563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jacque_le_Prince/pseuds/Jacque_le_Prince
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shame shrouds the Web and its people as they are forced to cower in fear of Google Plus. With Youtube's legends long gone, will humanity have to put faith into the next generation? Can girls like Felicia Kjellberg live up to their name and the legacy behind it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This AU takes place in a physical representation of the internet. Literally, the Web is an island. Websites are companies and places. Places like street names and districts, however, will just have ordinary names. There will be some futuristic elements, of course, because of this.  
> This is inspired by Shingeki no Kyojin and DRAMAtical Murder. So if you've seen either, you know this story won't be bubbly fangirly fluff.

_You're one in a select few, but not an individual._

_You're specially made, but not unique._

_Your name holds a legacy, but not your future._

_Your face is iconic, but not one to call your own._

_And that's why you're here, xxxxx._

* * *

The blonde girl winced as she woke up from her slumber, ice blue orbs squinting in the unforgiving sunlight that poured in through the bus window. She rubbed both eyes to ease the burn beneath their lids and then stretched out her limbs until she heard a subtle pop.

Looking about herself, she could see only a few people were still asleep in their cushy white bus seats. Most of them were only sleeping in now because they had stayed up late the previous night. No matter how comfortable the interior of these traveling buses were, no one was ever quite acquainted with sleeping in an upright position and so it took quite some time to fully fall asleep.

The blonde dared to look outside again, noticing some familiar signs coming in and out of her view through the window. It looks like she had woken up at the right time. Her destination was near. It would only be a matter of time before-

"Tch, of course you would."

With a click of her tongue, the girl glanced at her ringing Clove on her food tray, which displayed the smiling face of a boy her age with honey colored hair and cocoa eyes.

"Mario, I'm almost there," she didn't even bother with a hello.

" _Good, that's just what I was going to ask,_ " the voice on the other end that replied held a more effeminate tone, with the subtle emphasis on his "s" " _You know where you meet me, right Felicia?_ "

"Rivaille Street, I've been there before," the blonde droned "Look, don't worry so much about me. All I have to do is walk a few blocks, not an entire country."

" _I'm just excited to see you._ "

"Oh please," snorted Felicia "You've been watching over my every move since we met. I won't be surprised when we're in wheelchairs and you're still nagging me about going off on my own."

This time a muffled giggle was heard on the other line, followed by a " _Fine. I'll leave you be…for now. Just get home soon, okay?_ "

"Yeah, yeah. Later Mario."

" _Goodbye_."

Click.

Felicia released a sigh.

Mario had given her hell throughout the last two days of their trip to the Brennenburg District. Of course, he was completely fine with the trip, itself, seeing as it had to be done soon anyway, but when Felicia announced she would have to take a pit stop along the way by herself, that's where he had a problem. The young man had traveled with her throughout the entire trip. The idea of continuing to their destination alone while the blonde stood back for an extra day was discomforting. What was more discomforting was not being allowed to know what she left for or where she went. Mario was respectful of her privacy, though, and stayed out of Felicia's way as long as they had kept constant contact with one another and she lived up to her promise of returning to their new home in time, both of which she had managed to do.

" _Now approaching: Brennenburg District._ "

As the travel bus dug further into the central part of the district, people began to stir about, slowly waking up and preparing to depart soon, Felicia included.

She untangled herself from the sleeping blanket she had been given, instantly regretting the choice of jean shorts and a long-sleeved pink shirt with a lime green vest as travel wear when she moved her body. She then removed her bag and cell phone from the food tray and folded it back beneath her seat.

Felicia then stood up and further stretched, feeling the surge of the bus still drive beneath her feet. Afterwards, she reached up to the compartments to retrieve her duffle bag. Unfortunately, this was the moment the bus had stopped and the blonde lost her footing, tripping over her own foot and falling back.

Hardly anyone noticed, though, leaving no one to either ridicule or help her up. Brushing her fingers through her golden bangs on instinct, her blue eyes then darted towards a very valuable item: a micro golden chain with a golden piece about the size of a soda cap in the shape of a fist.

She snatched it and hooked it around her neck, letting the golden fist rest in her shirt.

" _After all the hell I went through getting it, I'm not gonna lose it right after._ "

The welcoming "bing!" noise told the blonde it was time to depart from the mass vehicle as the footsteps of the other passengers supported that fact.

Slinging her duffle bag over her shoulder, Felicia exited the bus and began her trek to her new home.

She couldn't help but look around herself and take in the neighborhood sights Brennenburg had to offer. It surely wasn't what most people would imagine when moving to a new place. The buildings weren't all that impressive and didn't stand out so much from the dull colors of the dirty pavement. No, the district couldn't be called the "slums" or run-down, but it still wasn't anything pretty to look at. To add to the gloom, the buildings rose too high to allow the beautiful sky's colors to pour in. In trying to improve itself with tall skyscrapers, it also eliminated its only shred of beauty.

"You waited on the front porch for me?" Felicia scoffed upon discovering the brunette that rocked on the patio swing.

The corner of Mario's lips curled slightly in a guilty response.

"Come on, get in the house," said Felicia, opening the door for both of them "I'm wrecked from the travel and all I need right now is a shower and fluffy pajamas."

With the boy following behind, Felicia let her eyes roam around the house "Not bad," she said as a satisfactory smile teased her lips "Glad you were able to get such a nice place to live in on such short notice."

The house was like any ordinary one with only the polish wood finish to admire, seeing as the two were only renting the space, but compared to the dreary neighborhood Felicia had just seen, this was a sight for sore eyes.

* * *

_"Dad…? Dad, what's wrong with you?! You've been acting really weird since Mom died! Dad, no! Stop!"_

* * *

The warm hand that made gentle contact with Felicia's shoulder jumped when a choked squeal escaped her lips.

Felicia panted as her icy blue eyes stared out to the dimly lit ceiling above her.

"Another nightmare?" Mario's voice inquired.

Bringing her forearm to her eyes, Felicia huffed "Yeah."

Mario stood up from the futon the girl lied on to brighten the lights some more "You were asleep for a really long time. You usually have nightmares when you sleep that hard," he said, his cocoa brown eyes not revealing much emotion "Are you…are you worried about entering Youtube?"

Felicia sighed through her nose.

"We're literally being called into the military," continued Mario "And for a completely different reason than our parents. No one knows what we're going to see when we get out there-"

"I _know_ that already," interjected the blonde. She sat up and released another soft sigh "Hand me my scrunchy."

Mario leaned over to grab the green clothe that once held Felicia's dirty blond hair in a high ponytail above her head from the coffee table and placed it in her awaiting hand. Having done so many times before, Felicia was able to tie the ponytail smoothly whilst keeping her silky bangs in place without the use of a mirror.

* * *

_The island of Platinum Web has always been technology influenced for the benefit of making the everyday life of man more efficient. However, out of all the great advances in technology, one of Platinum Web's most franchised investment was virtual gaming. The young community craved the adventure of placing themselves in a video game so much that people would gain fame for their skills. Their names held great respect; Pewdiepie, JackSepticEye, Markiplier. All of them were seen as great warriors to Platinum Web's people. Unfortunately, they would soon regret that title. One day, technology decided to turn against its creators. Beasts known as Viruses infiltrated the land. On the day these monsters were born, mankind was forced behind a barrier known as the Net. While citizens lived in the safe haven of the Net in complete ignorance, brave souls were being taken to the outskirts of the island and placed in an army. This army was composed of the greatest gamers Platinum Web had to offer. Their name: Youtube._

_That was generations ago. The monsters have been unheard of since and the community beneath the Net remained in blissful ignorance…for the moment._

_A new enemy has approached, but the gamers that exist now do not live up to the standard the previous legends did. Without the legends here today, how far is Platinum Web willing to go to ensure its safety this time? What will Platinum Web do to protect itself with their heroes long gone countless decades ago? Are they willing to let go of some of their humanity to save what's left of it? Has technology finally gone too far?_

* * *

"Felicia…" said Mario, closing his book "I know I've asked you once already but…we _can_ leave."

The girl turned her head with scrutinizing eyes.

"I know we're already here, but we can still turn back. I'll make sure they don't find us. We don't have to sign in to Youtube-"

"Stop that, Mario."

The brunette looked over as Felicia propped herself on her elbows "Don't hit me with the "we don't have to sign in" crap. It's our job. It's what we're born to do. You're getting yourself too deep in denial trying to convince me to change my mind. I know you're just trying to protect me again. Had it only been _you_ who had to sign in, you would go in a heartbeat."

A dissatisfactory sound hummed in the boy's throat.

"Besides," continued Felicia "What makes you think I won't be able to take care of myself on my own? What if I end up saving you at some point?"

The sass in her ending words chopped off some of the dryness in her monologue.

Mario then turned his gaze upon hearing the girl rise from the futon.

"Now, do you think you can relax long enough for me to go get a snack from the gas station I saw on the way here?" she asked, already approaching the coat rack.

Mario couldn't even give a genuine reply as the blonde had already pulled the blue jacket on with an "And don't blow up my phone if I spend thirty minutes trying to pick the best brand of licorice. I'm not just gonna grab any cheap candy just so I can get home in time," and left.

However, the moment Felicia left, she sighed.

She knew it wasn't right to poke fun at Mario's protectiveness, especially when the two had been without guardians for so long. Who else cared for Felicia this much? And no matter how much she complained, Mario never bat an eye. He was persistent with his protectiveness, but respectful. Still, it got to be a pain at times. At twenty-one years old, Felicia desired more freedom. And having someone constantly dote on her like a mother was embarrassing at this age. However, sometimes Felicia had to admit she wouldn't be where she was now had it not been for Mario. Her fiery spirit has pushed her into making rash decisions and saying things she shouldn't have. Mario covered for her every time without hesitation.

"Hello there."

"Hey Felicia."

Felicia stopped upon hearing the two familiar voices. She turned to see two brunettes about her age on a bench. The one with her caramel-colored hair in a stylish bun and glasses donning her blue eyes wore an outfit of a white skirt, a white vest and tie combo with a magenta shirt beneath and white flats with magenta ankle socks poking out. The brown-eyed girl beside her bore her dark hair in a messy ponytail, wore ripped magenta skinny jeans, a white V-neck with a magenta arrow on it and white sneakers.

Felicia only knew two girls that looked like this.

"India? A-Antonia?"

The caramel-haired girl known as India approached her first "Long time, no see," she said "How long has it been, a year now?"

"All this time, you've been in Brennenburg?" questioned Felicia.

"Yeah, I thought we told you," said Antonia, with her hands in her pockets as always "We wanted to get cozy living here before we signed in to Youtube."

Felicia's features darkened some at the serious topic.

"Why the long face? Don't tell me you're scared," a smirk teased Antonia's lips.

A small sneer formed on Felicia's face "And don't tell me you weren't at some point."

"Only if you don't believe in yourself-"

"Oh boy, here we go," suddenly interjected India with a roll of her blue eyes.

Antonia threw a glance at her "Something wrong, _honey_?"

"No offense, India, but your little "have faith in yourself" and "reach for the stars" speeches get repetitive every now and then," said India, tapping the magenta rim of her glasses.

"Tch, whatever," scoffed Antonia "You can only say that because you suck at speeches."

A chuckle escaped Felicia's airways "I see you two are still going at it like twins, eh?"

"We're not twins!" both said in sync.

" _You sure dress like it…_ " thought the blonde.

"Anyway, what are you doing this late at night?" questioned India.

"I'm going to get some candy from over there," said Felicia, pointing down the street "And you guys?"

"Oh you know, just enjoying a beautiful night," said India.

" _Beautiful night? The street lights freaking outshine the moon and the stars,_ " Felicia thought.

"Hmm, well do you want to come with me to the gas station?" the blonde then offered.

"Nah," said Antonia, who had attended to her cell phone on the bench.

"No thanks," said India "You go on ahead."

"Okay, I'll see you guys later then," said Felicia.

She then advanced towards the gas station, hearing the two girls' conversation become more and more quiet in the distance.

"Hm?" she stopped just before the gas station, just under the lights from the pumps.

"Could've sworn I just missed someone calling my name…Ah!"

Suddenly, image of the world around the girl disappeared before her very eyes, like a wave distorting the reflection in the clear waters into…nothing. Unfortunately, she was also swept along with those waves, flailing helplessly as the water pulled her into nothingness. And she allowed it to do so, but not without a final scream ripping through her throat.

* * *

"Aghh…my head…" Felicia gripped her throbbing cranium as the pain began to die in her waking moments. Unfortunately, that's when she came to a realization of her surroundings: a green and blue checkered plane that seems to go on forever, floating platforms of every shape and size, a pink hue of a sky.

"Oh no…"

She had heard of this place before. It was the place where Bullet Royale was held.

People who were heavily invested in virtual gaming would download games on their orbs and carry it around with them. The problem with having such a portable virtual gaming device such as orbs around is that anyone can pull an opponent into their game in public. And Felicia was just chosen as an inexperienced player.

" _Player Three has entered the arena._ "

Felicia jumped to her feet "Shit!"

Her eyes darted around her for other sounds of movement behind the distracting hum of electricity the virtual world created.

"Where…" she rasped as she looked around the constantly rotating platforms around her for the opponent "Where is he?"

"T-set!"

Felicia jumped at the sound of the high-pitched voice. "Where the hell is it coming from?!"

"Fire!"

Still not having set her eyes on the origin of the voice, the girl could only duck beneath a platform, upon doing so, she could see five green bullets nearly the size of her head crash into the spot she previously stood and burst into pixels on impact.

"Reload!"

As the platform Felicia clung to began to move, she climbed on and stood as it rose. She may have just put herself out in the open, but she had to try something, even though she could barely think straight at the moment.

" _Player Two has suffered 28 damage points. Player Three has suffered 0 damage points._ "

"Player Two?" questioned Felicia looking around herself "That means I'm Player Three…who else was in here before me?"

"T-set!"

"Uh-oh."

"Fire!"

Hearing the sizzle of the bullets coming her way, Felicia attempted to jump to the platform below, but it was too low and sent a shock wave of pain up her leg. However, the sound of exploding pixels above her was enough to convince her to suck it up and be grateful she moved.

" _Player Two has suffered 30 damage points. Player Three has suffered .5 damage points._ "

Gritting her teeth vengefully, Felicia thought " _I have to find a way out of here, but I've never played Bullet Royale before, or any virtual game before..._ " Suddenly, a figure caught her eye.

Looking down, she could see the slumped over figure of an albino girl in a skin suit almost as pale as her skin. Her dark hair pooled around her almost like the fallen blood of a dead body.

Without even a second thought, Felicia jumped down to her side, anxious to see a second person.

"Hey, you…" now that she was up close, Felicia could now see now beaten up with girl was and how pitifully she was just barely hanging on to consciousness. And that's when she realized: this girl is Player Two.

The click of heels resonated in Felicia's ears. They came closer and closer, obviously in her direction. Looking up, she could she lime green boots heading her way. The rest of the figure disappeared in a purple cape with gold accents.

Heat rose in Felicia's face as she gripped the fallen girl "Let us out of here!" she demanded.

A smirk poked out from the shadows of the cape's hood "You give up already?" the figure's feminine voice rather high and under-developed.

"Don't you see she's dying?!" exclaimed Felicia, holding the albino girl even closer to her.

"Calm down, Felicia. This is only a game," said the hooded figure "She'll only suffer minor injuries when she's back in the real world."

"H-How do you know my name…?"

The giggle in reply was unnerving. What was more unnerving were the words to come next "T-set."

A green hologram in the shape of a gun barrel formed in front of the figure's chest.

"Stop!" screamed Felicia.

The barrel began to load with holographic bullets.

"Fire."

**.**

**.**

**.**

If anyone were to ask the hooded figure what happened in that fraction of a second, there answer would be anything but sensible.

Her bullets fired, but she was the one who was hit in the end. As she lied crumbled on the floor of her own battle field, she was blinded by a glowing white light. Not a light of death, but from the shining gold that donned Player Three's hand. It was beautiful. It was indescribable. It was god-like, that gold that encased the powerful fist. Above that, Player Three's eyes glowed an intimidating pink. Somehow, behind it all, the hooded figure was able to see the blonde's lips mouth the word "DEFLECT."

" _Player One has lost 100 damage points._ "

* * *

"Felicia!"

"Felicia, wake up!"

The blonde jolted awake, instantly blinded by the lights from the gas station pumps. The two faces staring down at her were those of Antonia and India.

Felicia instantly jumped up.

"Where is she?!" she yelled.

India put a concerned hand to her shoulder "Slow down. You just passed out."

"Where's who?" questioned Antonia.

"The pale girl," explained Felicia "She was thin, had messy black hair with a blue tint to it. She wore this thin white body suit with a spiked collar, and, and, and-"

"Felicia we saw you walk this far and faint," argued India "You've been out for, like, two minutes. There was no girl."

"T-Two minutes…?!" sputtered the blonde, even more flustered "That's impossible! I got pulled into Bullet Royale and-"

"Bullet Royale?" questioned Antonia "You don't even have an Orb to download it on."

"Come on, you're a little out of it right now," said India "Let's just take you home and Mario can have a look at you."


	2. Chapter 2

Felicia was sitting up in bed, a single pillow supporting her lower back as the rest of her leaned against the bare wall with her arms crossed over her chest. Mario sat in a chair beside her, inadvertently mocking her with his all-knowing expression. Meanwhile, Antonia sat on the edge of the bed with one knee pulled up to her chin while India stood before her.

"Thanks for looking out for her, you guys," said Mario.

"It's no problem, Mario," said India "We just wanted to make sure she's still okay."

"I feel fine," Felicia told them for possibly the millionth time that night "I already told you what happened. I'm not the one who's hurt."

"What you're telling us just doesn't make sense," stated Mario "How can you get pulled into Bullet Royale when you've never even owned an Orb before? In fact, how can you even know for sure what Bullet Royale is?"

"I saw it for myself!" argued the blonde.

Mario's eyes calmed considerably "Felicia, you know your nightmares have a tendency to get out of hand. I've been more worried ever since they started affecting you while you were awake."

The rest could go without saying between the two. However, Felicia knew what she saw, what she experienced. That girl in the purple cloak had pulled her into a round of Bullet Royale as a third opponent. Yet, somehow, she was able to stop the girl…using…

Felicia's fingers found their way around the golden fist that dangled from her neck.

"If this problem is only getting worse, then we can forget about signing you into Youtube," continued the male.

"What!?" Felicia jumped up from her slack position on the bed "All that time training back in junior high just for nothing? Just because of one incident, you're going to throw away three years of hell?!"

"Exactly. I sat by while you went through three years of hell and now I have the chance to stop you from going through any more," urged the male "Listen to me, Felicia. We can find a new home and I'll make sure no one finds us-"

"Mario, I'm afraid signing into Youtube isn't exactly an option," India's voice suddenly interjected, causing both he and Felicia to look at her "Remember, we're not like other soldiers who are choosing to hand over their lives to the military. We're literally created just as Youtube's pawn," her icy blue eyes glared at Mario "If we disobey and try to run away, they can easily kill us."

Antonia clicked her tongue in distaste "Damn, India. I was pumped about this until you had to remind me that we're the state's property."

A casual breath leaked the bespectacled girl's lips "As expected of you, Antonia. Instead of remembering the obvious reality of the situation, you've been fantasizing about becoming a brilliant army woman the entire time."

"Well that's the most important part in my book," Antonia nudged Felicia's foot "Felicia, you understand, right?"

The blonde hesitated a little, her eyes traveling across her lap before meeting up to those of her friend. Then she smiled weakly "I totally understand," she said, though lacking some confidence "In fact, let's make a bet. You and I will be ranked the most badass female soldiers in Youtube."

"Oh god, you guys…"

"Even better, we'll just be ranked the most badass soldiers Youtube's ever had," said Antonia "So what of it, Felicia? Is it a bet or nah?"

A hand was extended to the blonde, Antonia's asymmetrical smirk in the dark crowned the offer like an angel's halo.

"Yeah," Felicia gave the hand a confident shake "It's a bet."

* * *

In the early stages of the night, the large, spacious room hummed with activity from the awaiting company occupying it. Youth ranging from early twenties to late thirties were all clad in their appropriate uniforms as they conversed with one another, getting comfortable in the environment they would get to know as the assembly hall. The sheer floors were just a shine below reflective mirror. The walls and high ceiling were also a bright crystal blue to match, so bright it almost provided a light on its own. The circular windows allowed the indigo night sky to contrast with the luminous room.

"It looks like we couldn't have arrived at a better time," said India.

Felicia allowed her eyes to marvel at the glorious sights around her and take in the cool atmosphere.

"It seems more like we walked into a soiree if you crop out the uniforms," commented Antonia.

Each person in the room was clad in white pants tucked into knee-high black boots, a short black jacket with the blank patch signifying everyone's identity as a trainee, and below that was a shirt of the person's choosing.

Of course Antonia chose to wear a magenta band shirt. India wore a fitted white turtle neck. Mario chose a white button-down shirt and a black fashion scarf. Felicia wore her favorite pink Hollister T-shirt.

The blonde in question stumbled as a person bumped into her from behind. While Felicia's other three companions were distracted, the girl caught her to prevent her from falling "Sorry."

The female voice snagged with a bit of a Texan accent and seemed to be in a hurry. When Felicia tried to turn around quickly enough to glance at the woman, she had aimed her eyes too low and only obtained a glimpse of minor cleavage in a red tank top before the woman disappeared into the crowd completely.

"Felicia are you okay? Your face is red."

The blonde snapped back into reality at the sound of Mario's voice and covered her face "I'm fine. It's just cold in here."

Mario hummed a bit in agreement.

A subtle "click" put every conversation in the room to silence.

People looked around in curiosity for the source of the noise that could have caught their attention to easily and simultaneously. Suddenly, multiple screens materialized along the walls. Each foot-by-foot large screen showed static for only brief moment before the image of a man appeared.

His skin was tinged beyond just a simple tan, but his hair was a champaign blonde slicked back in a way that complimented his strong jawline and neck. His brown eyes showed an equivalent merciless professionalism as he spoke.

"Good evening trainees. I'll be your Chief, Elric. Listen up. I'm not one to repeat. For three years of your lives, you've been given the basic training it takes in order to make it here."

" _For some of us, it was more special_ …" bitterly thought Felicia as she identified the warmth of the friends she came in with.

"It is now that you're ready to take the evaluation exam," Chief Elric continued "For further explanation of how the exam works, I will reside my stand to one of our lieutenants."

His voice grew notably reluctant and full of regret as the words escaped his mouth, but the man stayed true to his word and moved out of his space in the place of a younger woman.

Her faded brunette hair just brushed past her jawline and held a wavy texture. Accenting her equally wavy bangs was a thin, golden head band. Her brown eyes held a natural amount of energy despite to sobriety she was trying to hold on her face.

"What a pleasure it is to meet you, trainees! I am Lieutenant Ariana of the Survey Corps," her English accent greeted "Welcome to Youtube. Tonight, each and every one of you will be evaluated to decide which military branch you will be placed in. A special program designed by me will be awaiting you in your dorms to question your experience, thinking, strategizing, and emotional level. Yes, it will just be you and the computer alone. This evaluation test is a feature of P.L.A.Y.: Primary Levels Assigning Youtube, a system that controls many more features here in our military. You will then meet here again the next morning for your results. Good luck, and—"

Sighing at her giddiness, Elric returned to his position and said "Alright, that's enough Miss Ariana. Trainees, you know what to do. Go to your dorms and take the exam. Report back to the assembly hall at 7:00 AM sharp tomorrow morning."

* * *

As Ariana leaned over to flick off the switch, Elric said "You really had to mention that the evaluation test installed in P.L.A.Y. was designed by you?"

"Please Elric, what do you have against a little self promotion?" waved off Ariana.

"With all due respect, sir, proper credit should be given," said a second female voice "Just because we're one tier of power below you doesn't mean we don't deserve the same respect from the soldiers."

Ariana and Elric turned their swivel chairs towards the petite woman leaning against the doorway. Her raven hair was pulled into a perfect bun by a pink bow. Her narrow, dark eyes were given an intense look of maturity and grace. Her face was graceful and calm, but still held authority.

"See? Marceline is on my side," said Ariana.

Elric sighed and lifted himself from the chair "I hope you two gain a more professional attitude when the new soldiers are in."

As he approached the doorway Marceline leaned on to exit the room, the woman said "And I hope you learn to drop the macho man front when they come in."

Just as he left the room, he dropped a lethal gaze at Marceline, whose eyes always looked just as lethal.

Once he left, the raven-haired women exhaled in relief and slumped over to Ariana, sitting on her lap.

"That man couldn't get more arrogant if her tried," she sighed, earning a chipper giggle from Ariana.

"Uh…Lieutenants?"

"Ah? Steven?" Marceline jolted from Ariana's lap at the sight of one of her soldiers in the doorway "What brings you here?"

Holding a tablet close to his body, the young teen said "Remember when you told me that if P.L.A.Y. finds any other descendants of the gamers during the facial scan, to report to you immediately?"

Marceline's eyes widened considerably.

* * *

Closing her eyes, Felicia placed her face to the screen, allowing the green laser grid to glide across her features.

"You can remove your face from the screen now," the gender-neutral voice emitting from the speakers said.

The blonde did so.

"Name: Felicia. Sex: Female. Age: 21 years. Hmm…" it paused "I see now. The reason you don't have a surname is because you are a descendant of one of our soldiers from the last war, correct?"

"Yeah, so I technically have two last names: the one from my adoptive family and the one from the guy they made me from," said Felicia "I'm a regular test tube baby."

"Felix Kjellberg. Pewdiepie was his gamer name," it said.

Felicia shrugged, fondling the golden fist around her necklace "I don't know much about the guy that they say is supposed to be my dad."

"Well out of all of the legends, he was one of the most well-known. A legend among the legends," said P.L.A.Y. "His skills were well appreciated when he was alive. My calculations trust that being made in his design, you'll show the same excellence."

"Being made in his design…" Felicia said "Just a copy."

"That's not completely true, Felicia," said P.L.A.Y. "Although you were created in Felix's design, your sex is the opposite of his and your body is more naturally adapted to battle conditions and…"

"Combat," interrupted Felicia "I know this already. I've been told countless times."

"Alright then, shall we proceed with the test?"

"Sure."

"Good, question one:…"

* * *

Steven had left the room, being instructed to lock the door behind him. Ariana and Marceline leaned over the tablet displaying the faces on the screen.

"Ah, looks like we won't be so lonely anymore," said Ariana.

"True," said Marceline "We have five descendants signing into Youtube as we speak, one of them from Felix Kjellberg."

Ariana jumped "What?! You're serious!?"

"Shh!" hissed Marceline "With such sensitive information like that, that's why we only let certain soldiers like Steven know. It's dangerous enough letting a single soldier know anything about the Luna Crest Project."

* * *

_Indeed, Platinum Web was willing to give up some of their humanity to save what was left of it._

_The new enemy had begun to strike long after the legends of Youtube had died. Without them, the government was willing to make any actions to make sure its army remained strong, even if it meant disgracing the line between the living and dead. That's how the Luna Crest Project was introduced._

_By utilizing the research already done on asexual reproduction, the Luna Crest team used the DNA of the legends' bodies and produced children of the same genetic design, but enhanced their strength and combat to ensure a victory in the future. To further mask the identity of these lab infants, they reversed the gender from that of which their parents were, resulting in several females. They were left with only names akin to their "parents'" legal names as a trace to their true identities. For Felix, his "daughter" was named Felicia. For Marzia, her "son" was named Mario. And so on and so forth._

_They were then placed in orphanages and foster homes, allowing only fate to decide how and where they end up. Only by the age of fourteen was Luna Crest in control again. For three years, those children were drafted into a private military training camp that would make the training camp for average soldiers look like a spa._

_Now they're here._

* * *

Blood.

Blood…

Blood. Blood. Blood. There was blood everywhere.

She couldn't stop it or even tell where it was coming from or where it was going. It was just a constant red. The aching in her body was unbearable. She wanted it to end. The lights blinded her, mocking the light at the end of the tunnel in death. She wanted to reach for it in a vain attempt at death. Maybe…maybe…

Felicia woke up violently with gasps shredding her throat. She only jumped once more at the pounding on her door from a fellow trainee.

"Come on, soldier! We don't want Chief Elric yipping at our asses just so you can catch some beauty sleep!" called the muffled voice as it grew quieter and quieter down the hallway.

Felicia hurried to get herself dressed and out the door, only to bump into someone.

"Whoa! Slow it down there."

Releasing a tired sigh before anything else, Felicia straightened herself out and said "Sorry, I was rushing a bit."

"Hm? Oh, it's you!"

Caught off-guard by the suddenly friendly tone laced with a southern accent, Felicia looked up to the trainee she had bumped into. The girl was about her age. She had short black-brown hair with the majority of it pulled back by a hair clip. The remainder of it was styled in a fringe that covered the left half of her face. Her cocoa brown eyes looked down on Felicia with a mature smile. Her red tank top sparked a small memory from yesterday, but Felicia was sure the girl wouldn't remember her for that.

"Huh?" was all the blonde could muster as a response.

"I was afraid I wouldn't see you after we got out of that training camp," the girl continued. Noticing Felicia's confusion, the girl's face faltered "It's me, Kendall. I know it's been a whole year since we got out and everything but you haven't forgotten, have you?"

Suddenly regretful that she had made this girl feel forgotten, Felicia decided to play along and say "Of course, Kendall. Sorry, things have been pretty hectic this past year for me. That time in the training camp is a blur to me now."

"Ah, I understand," said the brunette "It's not called military training for nothing. And we were just kids, too," clearing her throat to signal a change in atmosphere, Kendall then asked "How's Mario doing?"

Felicia smiled "Clingy as usual. He's probably waiting for me in the assembly hall right now."

"Well let's not keep him waiting any longer," said Kendall, guiding the blonde down the flow of soldiers "Besides, you heard what Chief Elric said; 7:00 AM sharp."

"Yeah…"

As the girls made their way through the corridors, Felicia continued to think about her memories of Kendall.

" _I kinda remember Kendall_ ," she thought " _But what Mario said is right. My nightmares have been affecting my memories ever since I started having them when I was awake. On top of that, the time spent in that training camp was pure hell. It makes sense that I would suppress a lot of those memories._ "

A shiver ran down her spine just at the thought of it.

As expected, Mario had been waiting close by the doorway for the blonde teen, arousing a heated irritation in the nape of her neck just at the sight of it.

"Well, well, well, Felicia. You were right," said Kendall "Mario was waiting for you like the gentleman he always is."

Without a friendly grin, Mario simply addressed the girl with a "Aren't you Kendall from back at the training camp?"

The girl smiled "So glad to see you remember me," she said.

Seeing Kendall and Mario beside each other, Felicia now noticed that both were of equal height, which only added to the competitive air.

" _What's going on?_ " thought Felicia " _Why does Mario seem so defensive around Kendall?_ "

Before the blonde could part her lips to intervene, a familiar click resonated within the room, signaling the screens to appear across the room.

"Attention!" Chief Elric's image spoke "We will now begin assigning placements of the soldiers."

* * *

_Police Brigade- personal guard of the people within the Net territory._

_Stationary Guard- guarding and maintaining the Net._

_Survey Corps- leaving the base and protecting Platinum Web from Plus infiltrations._

* * *

"James Alexander, Stationary Guard."

"Antonia, Police Brigade."

"David Lamar, Stationary Guard."

"India, Police Brigade."

"Kevin Doleson, Stationary Guard."

"Felicia, Survey Corps."

"Kendall, Survey Corps."

"Mario, Survey Corps."

"Tabetha, Survey Corps."

A gasp cut through Felicia's lips.

Mario glanced at her worriedly "What's wrong?" he hushed.

"Tabetha?" the girl whispered to herself.

Something about the name struck horrible memories to her. She clutched her head with both hands and closed her eyes in despair. Now both Kendall and Mario were worriedly at her sides.

Suddenly, a vibration shook the very floor the trainees stood on.

"What was that?!" someone gasped.

"It sounded like it came from-" that statement was cut off by an even more powerful pounding, this one accompanied by a roar…

* * *

"Whoa! Did you hear that?!" shakily asked Ariana as she struggled to wipe up the beverage she had spilled due to the last vibration.

"Ugh...of course I heard it," said Marceline as she regained her balance "A Plus couldn't have picked a better day to attack near the actual military base. Whatever's sending them out is getting smarter."

"I know," said Ariana before turning to one of the many computer screens within the room "P.L.A.Y., make sure none of our trainees get hurt."

"Yes, ma'am," the computer complied.

Marceline sighed "As far as I can tell, these are definitely worse than the Viruses."


	3. Chapter 3

The roaring engines of the soldiers high-tech motorcycles hummed in harmony as they circled the beast.

"A four-meter class Plus," the Commander's voice informed into the earpiece of every soldier "There's only a single one. Continue circling around to encompass it…"

The four-meter tall Plus held the stature of a male human, completely enclosed in smooth crimson-orange skin, which only broke for its fingers, toes, ears, fang-bearing mouth, and weak spot: a white plus sign placed directly over its heart.

"Take out the left achilles!"

Upon hearing this command, the upcoming soldier in the revolution ejected a laser wire from his 4D Maneuver Gear to launch himself off of his motorcycle, gun in hand and blew away the achilles tendon of the Plus, earning an agonized cry from it.

As the beast descended onto its back, Marceline launched herself on her own hot pink laser wires, twirling flawlessly up to the Plus' upper body. On the way up, she had to avoid the flailing arms of the Plus as it fell, attaching and detaching the grappling hooks on the ends of the pink lasers from her 4D Maneuver Gear to various parts of the Plus' body to advance. With a grunt, she made one last jump to pull out her gun and aim for the white plus on its chest. With a single shot, she sent a cool, crisp flurry of pixels flying in every direction.

Hooking a pink laser onto a nearby building, Marceline flipped once and landed on the roof.

"You go, girl!" cheered on Ariana.

* * *

Commander Calvin and his two lieutenants walked down the hallways of the military base after completing the mission.

Stretching her arms above her bust, Marceline said "If there was only gonna be one Plus, you could have just sent two or three soldiers out there. There wasn't really a need to send an entire squad."

"Yeah, boss! No need in wasting a whole squad's efforts," agreed Ariana.

"Oh, you two have that much faith in our abilities?" laughed Calvin.

"You saw Marceline take that thing down in fifteen minutes," said Ariana "I hardly even had to intervene. She may be small, but she's got the strength of an entire army in her."

The undertones of a modest blush formed on the cheeks of the woman in question "I guess it just runs in the family."

Ariana laughed at the discrete joke.

"It's so inconvenient that a Plus had to attack the day of division assignments," said Commander Calvin with a frown "I hope all the panic doesn't make it too difficult for you two to get your squads assembled."

"Oh, that's right," Ariana smirked at Marceline.

Both knew the names called into the Survey Corps purposely included the names of the Youtube gamer descendants. Marceline and Ariana would have the responsibility of being their leaders.

"We should check on them and confirm their positions with us," said Marceline, purposely being vague so Calvin wouldn't understand what the two women were speaking of.

"You two go on ahead," said the Commander as he turned down another hallways "I'm going to go check in with the other lieutenants."

The women waited until they could no longer hear the man's footsteps before either one spoke again.

"I can't believe we're gonna be their leaders. They'll only be a year or two younger than us, if not the same age," said Ariana.

"How many did you say there were?" asked Marceline.

"Five at the very least," said Ariana "P.L.A.Y.'s calculations were a bit sketchy at the time. Even their faces on the screen were low resolution and pixelated. We should get to the assembly hall where we left them and ask Elric to pull them out for us."

"That's exactly where we're heading," said Marceline, taking an unexpected left turn that led the two to a pair of double doors.

Passing through each door separately, the two women entered a room of crouching young adults, hushing with light panic.

"You didn't tell me you were leading us through a short cut," said Ariana.

"I didn't have to," said Marceline.

"Alright, settle down everyone," commanded Instructor Elric from his high stand at the front of the room "I've just been given word that we're all clear."

"Excuse me, Chief Elric!" called Marceline as she made her way past the crouching soldiers and up to the man with Ariana confidently following beside her.

"Huh? Who's she?"

"Never seen her before…"

"She's with that British chick from yesterday."

Comments of that brand emerged from the lips of the soldiers as the duo walked past. Many, if not all, only regarding Marceline.

"Hmph, Lieutenants," addressed Elric when the ladies approached him "Came to collect your squad members yourselves?"

"Actually, we're looking for a few particular soldiers," said Marceline "We need Felicia, Mario, Kendall, and Tabetha."

The tanned man raised a brow for a brief second "I dismissed those few to the infirmary after one of them had a migraine."

"Is that so?" questioned Ariana "How unfortunate. Come on, Marceline."

"I'm right behind you."

* * *

Mario adjusted to wet cloth on the forehead of the awake but sluggish Felicia.

"How's your head feeling?" he asked.

"Better," replied the blonde.

Kendall, sitting on the opposite side of the bed, asked "How often does this happen?"

"This migraine? It's the first time," said Felicia "Something about hearing that girl's name triggered a memory or something."

"What girl?" asked Kendall.

Felicia hesitated, then grit her teeth "Tabetha…" she said "I'm…I'm not even sure I can remember anyone of that name."

"Strange…" said Kendall, looking at Felicia with concerned brown eyes.

"I knew it was a mistake bringing you here," suddenly said Mario, forcing both females to look at him "Your memories are still in control of you. You're in no shape to be here."

"Mario…" Felicia was prepared to spit fiery words at the male in protest, but hesitated when she struggled to find any. What defense did she have right now? She was once again sitting in a bed after having fallen under attack to her mind. This is _exactly_ what Mario has warned her about.

"Hey now, don't be so rough on her," said Kendall, even outstretching her arm to put a defensive hand in Mario's direction "I'm sure a lot of people here are going through some sort of PTSD, too. If you want Felicia to get better, browbeating her is only gonna make it worse."

The male reluctantly bit his tongue.

"Knock, knock," announced Ariana as the door slid open for her and Marceline "We're looking for Felicia, Mario, Kendall, and Tabetha."

"That would be us- uhm…" Felicia caught herself "Did you say…Tabetha?"

"Yeah, is that your name?" asked Ariana, still with a chipper attitude.

"No," said Felicia "I'm Felicia. We'v-we've never met a Tabetha."

"Hm?" said Ariana, a little confused "Oh…well that must mean you're Mario," she pointed towards the male bearing honey-colored hair "And you're Kendall," she then pointed towards the brunette female.

"Yes," said Kendall as Mario nodded.

"So none of you have never met anyone named Tabetha?" finally spoke up Marceline "Tabetha with an "e" instead of an "i"?"

"No, no one," said Kendall as Mario shook his head "But Felicia," she turned to the blonde "Didn't you say you got a migraine when you heard her name because it triggered a memory?"

"A memory, you say?" questioned Ariana.

"I-I, well…" Felicia stammered, not completely comfortable with all the sudden attention on her "I get flashbacks from my time spent in the training camp. A lot of those memories were repressed, after all."

"Ah, so you may have met her back then," said Marceline, her arms across her chest "Well, don't worry. You'll be able to see her again soon. You're in the same squad as her."

"What?"

"You see, girls—and Mario—you know you're descendants of the great Youtube Legends," said Ariana "So are Marceline and I. You've been purposely assigned to our squad so that we could all fight the Pluses together. Consider us as…a sort of Specials Ops group."

"H-Hold on, you're descendants of Youtube Legends?!" gasped Felicia.

"Indeed," said Ariana, puffing out her chest in pride "I'm the descendant of Yamimash. Marceline's the descendant of Markiplier."

"I know there not much of a resemblance, but it's the truth," Marceline lightly joked with a modest smile "Well, I hope you get better. We'll see ourselves out to go find Tabetha."

"Thank you," said Felicia, rather weakly.

Marceline turned to Ariana, who had been fooling around with her tablet "So where is s-"

"Huh?! This can't be right!" gasped Ariana.

"What?"

"It says Tabetha is _outside_ the military base!" said Ariana.

Now everyone had stopped and paid attention to the conversation.

"Is that the tablet broken or...is this woman up to something?" questioned Marceline.

"I doubt that," said Ariana "If it is a bug like you say, I'll go alone. I don't want to drag you outside for nothing."

"Hmm…" Marceline hesitated "No, there's always the possibility that it's something serious."

Ariana smiled "Thanks, Marceline."

"My pleasure," said the dark-haired woman as she lead Ariana out the door.

There was a moment of silence as the original trio in the room wordlessly tried to return back to the topic they were on before the two women entered the room.

"Mario," Kendall suddenly said "I know you're scared for Felicia, and you have every right to be. You're like a brother to her," she slipped her warm hand around Felicia's. The blonde found it surprisingly soft "Being her friend, I want to take responsibility in keeping her safe. I'll watch out for her wherever we go."

A warm feeling spilled into Felicia's chest.

Kendall was giving her an endearing look that eased a lot of the tension in her. Shifting her blue eyes over, Felicia could see Mario's expression remained unchanging as it often did; not a bad sign, but not a good one either.

Kendall smirked at the male "Besides, Mario, I'm pretty sure I'm the only one of the two of us who can keep an eye on Felicia in the _girls'_ dorms."

Instantly understanding the implication, Mario uncomfortably adjusted the black scarf around his neck.

"She's right," Felicia giggled "Kendall can keep watch over me when it's lights out."

Mario sighed through his nose "That's true," he said "I'm trusting you, Kendall."

"And you have nothing to worry about," said the brunette female.

* * *

A green circle shape pulsated in the ground, swishing the blades of grass back and forth and illuminating the air above. As it expanded, the static sounds increased. With a final pop, a green figure of a female appeared with a flurry of pixels. The green unraveled from the figure like ribbons to reveal an young adult female in a purple cloak with gold accents.

She released a heavy sigh as she tossed her head back.

"I've been so weak ever since that girl beat me," she coughed. She looked up at the grey sky in frustration "Dammit, that's not even fair."

Her blue eyes widened when she heard the sound of footsteps and distance voices.

She grabbed a small golden sword emblem hanging from her neck and kissed the handle. Her purple cloak vanished into green pixels, leaving her nude for a split second before she was clothed in her soldier uniform with a green T-shirt. Her brown hair, which was now revealed, was worn in a single braid.

"You!"

She turned around.

Marceline approached the woman.

"What's your name, soldier?" the dark-haired woman asked.

"T-Tabetha, ma'am," the brunette stuttered, feigning her best fear.

"Tabetha?" repeated Ariana as she caught up.

"What are you doing outside the military base?" asked Marceline, hands on her hips.

"I-I-I…" Tabetha twirled her braid nervously "I got lost on the way to the assembly hall this morning," she finally spat out "When the base went on lockdown for the Pluses, I tried to look for a room to stay in, but I ended up out here and the door locked me out!"

Ariana snickered a bit. Marceline gave her a corrective elbow to her side.

"Oh, well let's head back inside," said the dark-haired woman "I think it might rain."

"Thank you," said Tabetha, keeping her innocent energy.

"No problem," said Ariana, turning on her heels, leading the other two females back towards the base "Things can get rough on the first day."

"Indeed, I apologize for startling you," said Marceline with a polite nod "Miss Ariana and I are lieutenants of theSurvey Corps. We were looking for you because you're in our squad."

"Me?" questioned Tabetha.

"Yes, you were assigned into the Survey Corps. because you're a descendant of a Youtube legend like us," explained Marceline "You'll be there with other descendants, too."

"Oh," said Tabetha "How many of us are there?"

"Three more," said Marceline "You can't visit them now because they're in the infirmary."

"Really? What happened?" asked Tabetha.

"One of them has a bit of PTSD," said Ariana "Ow!"

The taller woman received another elbow to the ribs from Marceline.

"Refrain from revealing other people's personal business like that," stated the dark-haired woman.

Ariana huffed and rubbed her bruising side.

"Now, lets just get you back to your dorms and rest up some," Marecline told Tabetha "We'll do the meet-up with the squad members later when everyone has been settled."

"Okay," said Tabetha with a smile.

* * *

Kendall yawned and sat up, the bed creaking beneath her. Her sleepy eyes stared out into the darkness without a purpose.

"Did I hear something?" she mumbled to no one but herself.

A subtle knocking on the door met her eardrums.

Kendall got out of bed, walked over to the door and opened it.

"Felicia?"

The blonde before the door looked extremely sleepy and somewhat distressed.

"Whoa, are you alright?" asked Kendall.

Brought more so to her senses, Felicia blinked, looked up at the brunette and said "Oh yeah, it's just…" she sighed "I'm having flashbacks. I figured, if you were awake, I could hang out here until I was relaxed enough get to sleep."

"Oh…" Kendall said, with a hint of pity.

Out of stubborn embarrassment, Felicia said "Y'know what? Never mind. You should head back to sleep. I don't need to be here bothering you…" as she said those last words, she turned around to leave, but a hand stopped her.

"Come on, Felicia," said Kendall "You can sleep with me."

The blonde hesitated "I…"

Kendall lead Felicia into her room, which grew darker once the door slid closed.

" _I don't want to burden her by making her share her bed,_ " Felicia's conscience was telling her as her exhausted body slid into bed with the brunette.

"Comfortable...?" hummed Kendall.

Felicia leaned her face into Kendall's collar bone.

"Yes…" said the half-asleep blonde.

Kendall looped her arm around her shoulders and interlocked her fingers in her blonde hair.

" _This is embarrassing coming in here over something as silly as nightmares,_ " Felicia's stubborn conscience urged " _But Kendall's a really good friend for supporting me like this._ "

"Hey Kendall...?"

"Yeah...?"

"Your hair looks cute when it's taken down…"

Kendall giggled sleepily "So does yours…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Why does she have to kiss the handle of the sword in order to activate it?" It's heat-activated. But it's also a reference to the scene in the original SnK where Jean kisses the handle of his own sword before fighting a titan.


	4. Chapter 4

_"Tabetha."_

You stood shaken in the grey, cold world around yourself as the tall, brooding man in a crisp suit gripped the hand of an also fragile looking girl. The girl was not as shaken as you were, though. Her disarrayed brown braids accented her sunken in blue eyes. Perhaps she had just weathered so much that she had given up already. You, however, still had enough fight in yourself to shake and quiver in fear.

"According to Tabetha's eyewitness account, you were seen sneaking food from the kitchen," said the man, who then squeezed the small brunette's hand "Isn't that right?"

The tired-looking brunette you assumed was Tabetha barely uttered an affirmative hum. She obviously had no intent to get you into trouble. After all, everyone was a victim in that training camp. She was merely one of the few witnesses they had to confirm you had, indeed, snuck food from the kitchen.

You couldn't help yourself. You were starved in this unforgiving camp for days on end to test your endurance. You figured you could sneak a slice of bread into your bunk and no one would notice. No one would accuse the little blonde girl, right? No one would punish the little blonde girl so severely for a meager slice of bread, right?

You flinched as the man took your tiny wrist into his strong hand and lead you down the hall. Where was he taking you? Why did he let Tabetha, the tired looking brunette, go? What is there to look forward to in this empty hallway? All you see at the end is a locker.

The man stops before it, but doesn't let you go. He easily unlocks it and pushes you in without explanation. Before you can utter a single sound, the door closes…and it doesn't open for another two days.

* * *

That was the memory that flashed through Felicia's mind when she experienced the migraine upon hearing Tabetha's name. She remembered how she screamed, weeped, and begged for release during the entire 48 hour interim, unaware that she was unheard and forgotten the entire time. She remembered how her legs ached and how she was forced to inhale her own body's natural odors. The locker was so narrow, she was unable to rest and sleep.

The weight of those memories suddenly flooding back in was enough to induce a painful migraine, but now she could honestly say she had made a gracious recovery and was now healthy.

" _Tabetha_ …" the blonde thought as she leaned her cheek into her hand " _I hope she isn't suffering, too._ "

Felicia, Kendall, and Mario were waiting in the Survey Corps primary garrison for their lieutenants to return now that Felicia was in full recovery. By this time it was midday and the entire military was in a pretty relaxed and calm state after the recent incident.

Suddenly, the door slid open "Yoohoo!" greeted Ariana.

"We're back," greeted Marceline, allowing Tabetha to step in before herself.

There was an icy air of strangeness that formed when Tabetha and Felicia laid eyes on one another. Both felt it, but neither knew the other experienced the same feeling.

With her hands on her hips, Ariana said "Well, it looks like we have everyone here. Pretty much all girls as assumed."

"But we can't linger here for long," interjected Marceline "We were supposed to head to 4D maneuver gear training twenty minutes ago."

"Hm? They have training here?" questioned Kendall "But we learned all of that at the camp."

"Yes, but it's just a precaution," said Marceline "One can never be too experienced. Even lieutenants like ourselves are required to go."

"Yeah, ol' Chief Elric gets pretty angry with us when we slack on our training," admitted Ariana with a cheeky smile.

Marceline sighed "You had to tell them that? So much for first impressions."

Ariana shrugged "We're all human," she turned around to lead the group out of the door "Well, let's go then."

* * *

_4D maneuver gear is a specially designed mode of transportation that was derived from the 3d maneuver gear technology. Harnesses are strapped around the torso and thighs with specially designed fibers that give the person the strength to jump and leap._

_On the lower back rests the P.L.A.Y button. The button is a computer pouch that shoots two laser wires from each side to hook onto landmarks around the person. The person has to aim and shoot the laser with their conscious. The button also calculates the right amount of force to pump into the harness fibers to give that person the strength to leap and launch themselves._

* * *

Mario flew in an arc, coming around towards a grand tree with a target on it. He began to aim with the practice spear he was given. However, just as he was about to head for it, a red streak swooped before him and slashed across the entire target, making him hesitate some.

"Oh, sorry! I think I overshot it," called Kendall as she flew by.

Marceline soared by her side "It's alright, Kendall. A little abrasive, but very impressive."

* * *

_Using 4D maneuver gear appears easy at first, having most of the work done by a computer, but it's actually quite a difficult task. The person must aim their laser solely using their mind. On the battle field in the face of a Plus, the ability to multitask and concentrate on both their gear and other factors of war is heavily hindered._

* * *

Felicia curved her hip, retracted her laser and shot it in a new location to steer in her objective direction. All the while, she never took focus off of the target on the tree that she aimed for with her spear.

As Tabetha soared around and observed her from a nearby spot, she thought " _She's so determined and rushed in her movements, but it seems to work out. Can she really make it using such a tactic?_ "

The blonde etched in a line on the outer edge of the target " _Man, it's not close enough,_ " Felicia thought, discouraged.

" _Hm_ ," Tabetha feigned a slightly disappointed face " _Just as calculated._ "

* * *

"Whoo...!" Ariana sighed as she threw her head back and let the shower water trickle into her thick waves of hair "Nothing beats a nice shower after a hard day's work, am I right, ladies?"

"Oh yeah."

"Definitely."

After training, the female soldiers followed Ariana's lead and figured it was a nice idea to take a shower after working up such a sweat outside. The shower was a spacious, large room of pearl tiled floors with large individual stalls for each girl that covered everything from the shoulders to the knees. Small, vent sized windows lined the top of the walls and allowed natural sunlight to pour in.

The sound of the door echoed in the room.

"Now _this_ is something I could get used to," Kendall's voice said as she arrived.

Felicia turned around to see Kendall come around and enter the shower stall next to her.

"It's pretty nice, isn't it?" the brunette said as she disrobed inside of the stall and turned on the shower head.

"Yeah, almost like a spa," said Felicia, massaging the shampoo in her hair.

She looked beyond Kendall and towards Marceline when she heard the dark-haired woman say "That's the perks of being in Youtube."

Red suddenly flushed to Felicia's cheeks as she averted her eyes " _She took off her towel_ before _she went into the shower stall_ …"

Kendall lathered soap in her hands "Hey Marceline, when you said we had perks as a part of being signed into Youtube, what exactly did you mean?"

As water dampened the smooth black hair, it extended from the nape of her neck to her shoulders "Well after the legends before us exterminated the Viruses, the community grew a great amount of respect for Youtube, or more so, I should say," explained Marceline "So the president of the Motherboard decided we should be entitled to better supplies and living conditions."

"Wow, the president from the actual Motherboard?" gasped Felicia, turning Marceline's way again now that she was in her stall "They're bigger than the government."

"Actually, that's a misconception," corrected Tabetha "The Motherboard is the government and the entire political party altogether. So really the government is just part of the Motherboard."

"Even I didn't know that," said Kendall, scrubbing her arm.

"Still, its amazing that the people would be willing to invest their money in us," said Felicia.

Marceline shrugged "It's survival being wagered here. They figure if we can keep them alive in the Net, paying a dollar extra in their taxes to make sure we're able enough to get the job done right is hardly a cost."

"Right…" said Felicia in a low voice "Everyone is relying on us," she subtly reached for her golden fist emblem.

* * *

After the girls had gotten finished with their showers, Tabetha noticed a flicker of light in the corner of her eye as she began to tie her towel around her body.

Everyone had already left when she saw the flicker, so this left her puzzled. She stood still for a moment to observe her surroundings, only to hear a pair of footsteps. Apparently, not _every_ one had left the showers.

Stepping out of her stall, the brunette confronted Felicia, making the blonde stop in her tracks.

"Oh, Tabetha," simply said the blonde.

"Sorry if I startled you," though the brunette's eyes were busy traveling away from Felicia's face as she spoke "What's this?" she suddenly picked up the golden fist emblem, making the blonde flinch slightly from both the bare touch and having the important item questioned.

"Just a necklace," said Felicia as she carefully watched Tabetha inspect it.

"Really? Just a necklace?" questioned the brunette "That's a pretty interesting shape for a piece of jewelry."

"Yeah…" said Felicia, not enjoying having to watch Tabetha get so close to the item.

"What does it represent? The fist I mean," questioned the brunette.

Felicia hesitated, struggling not to give away her blatant lying with an "umm" or other murmur of ignorance "Strength," she finally said "And power."

"Wow, that's so unique! I've never seen something like this before," feigned Tabetha, her vibrant blue eyes widened in fascination "Tell me, where did you get it?"

"My mother bought it for me when I was pretty young. I never asked her where she got it," lied Felicia.

Tabetha smiled " _I guess that was an easy question,_ " she finally released the golden fist and let it fall flat against the white towel.

"Well it is a pretty piece of jewelry," she said, walking away, which urged Felicia to follow her lead.

"Thank you," said the blonde, still slightly annoyed.

The two entered the changing room, where the other girls were finishing up getting into their uniforms.

Tabetha went straight to her locker and opened it to access her clothes as the others conversed.

" _Silly girl_ ," thought the brunette " _Didn't your father ever tell you to keep your talisman out of sight?_ "

She reached into the pocket of her white uniform pants and felt for the silver micro chain with a little golden sword emblem on it.

* * *

"Huh?!"

Felicia opened her eyes to the world of floating cubes and the tile floors that seemed to go on for eternity. The only difference was that now, she was in her Youtube uniform.

" _Player Two has entered the arena._ "

That, too, was also different.

The blonde stood on her unsteady feet "You're kidding me…" she groaned as she stared out before her "Again, here, in Youtube…?!"

Before she could address any other familiarities, the deathly click of those lime green boots came closer and closer to her from behind.

She swung around, flabbergasted into silence.

A smug smile peeked out from the purple-hooded face "Hello."

Irritated by the simple, friendly gesture, Felicia scowled "You, what are you doing here?"

Gesturing around her, the figure said "This is my domain, Felicia. Location doesn't matter."

"I suppose you're going to beat me to a pulp like you did that other girl?" growled Felicia "Or did you already plan on "inviting" her for round two?"

"Heh, oh no," said the figure "I only have my eyes set on you, tonight."

She then reached down into her robe and pulled out a tiny sword emblem. Enclosing it in her fist, a quick flash of light spit between her fingers. As quick as she swiped her arm in a forward attack motion, a fully grown sword was placed in her grasp.

Felicia took a step back, but froze once the broad tip of the sword pointed at her throat.

"Now that I've shown you my father's gift, how about you show me yours?" asked the figure.

Felicia swallowed and stared the girl right where her eyes should have been "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" scolded the figure, now aiming the sword at Felicia's chest "The Bro Fist Talisman! Only Felix Kjellberg possessed such an item! You used it the last time we met and you can use it again."

Felicia hesitated "So, you know about my father," she said "You know that much? Is it because your own father told you so?"

The figure didn't respond.

"Would your father be proud of what you're doing right now?" the blonde asked, her voice coming out in a growl again.

The figure's smile returned, this time with a laugh. It confused and angered Felicia even more.

"Silly girl," said the figure "My father is the one who wanted me to do this. He wanted me to accomplish the goal that he _couldn't_!" as she said those final words, she brought her sword down on Felicia, who then ducked, tumbled and began to run away.

The blonde leaped to a floating cube.

"Come on, Felicia, why don't you use your talisman?" taunted the figure as she heard her voice coming closer and closer.

Felicia continued to climb and drop from various floating cubes and platforms to escape.

"And here I was thinking you were such a fighter!" teased the figure's voice "What a major miscalculation!"

In truth, Felicia was a definite fighter and she would have taken the opportunity to defend herself at any moment now. But unfortunately, she didn't _remember_ how she even used the fist talisman.

Finally, she came to the highest platform in the entire Bullet Royale space. There were no other cubes or platforms in sight that were close enough for her to safely drop down to and the one she had just jumped from had just floated away. Soon, the sword-wielding figure stood before her. Felicia didn't know how or when she got there in the state of her hysterical mindset, but she knew she had to get out. She took a step back, two steps, three, but it was a mistake. Her heel touched the air and her body followed the same rhythm. The blonde couldn't even scream as the sky grew farther and farther away from her sight.

* * *

Felicia's bright blue eyes popped open as she woke in a cold sweat. It was just minutes before she was required to wake up. The warmth of the suns rays spilled from her window and poured on her blanket-covered legs.

" _A dream_ …" Felicia ran her hand through her sweaty blonde hair " _Of course it was._ "

* * *

The Net, shining an iridescent purple as it encased the human territory of Platinum Web, was rimmed with soldiers cleaning out cannons on the very top.

Kendall stretched with a yawn "Geez, I don't think that sun can get any more brutal," she said, shielding her brown eyes from the beating sun rays.

"We should at least be thankful that Pluses aren't here during the winter," said Felicia "Can Pluses even survive snow?"

Mario, fluffing out his swab said "They haven't been around long enough to determine that."

Felicia coughed and waved a hand before her face "Fluff it the other way, Mario!"

The male corrected his movements "Sorry."

Kendall giggled and patted Felicia's back "Geez, Mario, don't suffocate the girl."

Mario didn't respond.

Soon, Tabetha hurried up to the trio "Hey guys, the lieutenants just wanted me to tell you that even though we'll be on watch today, we're still gonna swap out soldiers for a lunch break."

"Oh, thank god," said Kendall.

"I've been worried about that," said Felicia "Do you know what time it is?"

"It's set for the same time as any ordinary day," said Tabetha. She furrowed her brows "Are you alright, Felicia? You seem a little out of it."

The blonde sighed "I hardly got any sleep last night, that's all."

"Oh, sorry to hear that," said Tabetha.

She suppressed the urge to squint at the brunette " _I must be really sick in the head_ ," she thought " _Because I swear, that mystery Bullet Royale player sounds extremely similar to Tabetha the more I talk to her,_ " she shook away the thought " _But that's stupid. There's no way she would be bold enough to get face me in real life in public. And if she did, why didn't she kill me now?_ "

"Did you have a migraine or nightmare?" suddenly asked Mario.

"No, Mario," Felicia quickly denied both claims, even though one was true.

" _It's certainly mysterious_ ," thought the blonde as she gazed across her chatting friends " _A soldier whose on a mission to kill another soldier; and it's one of us. That doesn't make it easy though, because if my memory is correct, there were dozens of Youtube legends,_ " she looked out to the lively cities of Platinum Web " _But what did she mean when she said she wanted to accomplish her father's goal? What could any of the legends want that would involve murder?_ "

Suddenly, a crash rocked the wall the soldiers stood on.

"Gah!"

"What the hell was that?!"

"Is that a-?!"

At the sound of the siren, all four adults then knew what had shaken the Net: Pluses.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason for Tabetha's cheesy nerd jargon is that I based her character off of Peridot from Steven Universe, which fits considering they're both green dorks.


	5. Chapter 5

A small child with naturally bronze skin and twisted ebony braids gazed up above the stout huts people in her residence were forced to call homes. Over them, she could see the forbidden towering domes that held thousands of soldiers enlisted to protect her innocent life. However, that's not what had caught her attention. It was the sound of violent sirens that made her cringe up and look towards the domes for an explanation.

"Baby, get inside!" the concerned mother's voice was preceded by the extended arm tugging the small girl into their home.

* * *

Felicia's body cut through the air as she spiraled awkwardly, her curved back hurdling towards the ground with her legs spread open like a pair of wings. A sharp breath escaped her lungs despite having her arms covering her face in natural defense.

At some point during her descent, a lime green laser ejected out of her P.L.A.Y button, hooking onto the bright purple Net. She momentarily paused in her fall before another laser from her other hip connected parallel to where the first laser penetrated the wall. The bottom of the blonde's black boots brushed up lilac sparks of pixels when they scraped harshly against the Net as Felicia's weight was pulled upwards by the laser wires.

She panted heavily once she came to a halt, resting her hands on her hips as her blue eyes stuck to her lap.

"Is everyone okay?" Mario's voice called out.

The honey-haired boy had suspended himself on his own 4D maneuver gear. Kendall clumsily scooted herself up to a median between Felicia and Mario's level on her own gear.

Before anyone could answer, a heavy weight zoomed past all three of the young adults.

"Tabetha!" screamed Felicia.

As quick as lightening, Kendall's scarlet red laser wrapped around the brunette's skinny leg, scorching dark lines into her bleached white pants leg.

"Hah, got her…!" panted the busty girl, fat drops of sweat falling off of her skin wherever it was exposed.

"She's unconscious," Mario flatly stated as he stared coldly at the girl "We'll get her to the infirmary after…"

His sentence dropped, his lips coming to a slow close.

The other two females followed his gaze, which now went beyond Tabetha's dead weight. The honey-haired boy was staring down at the broken entrance of the Net, where Pluses of varying sizes filed in, tainting the ground they walked on.

"Kendall, can you climb with Tabetha?" questioned Mario.

The girl huffed, adjusting her grip on the pigtailed girl until she was tucked under her arm "Not like I exactly have a choice," she said.

"Alright, let's get to the transport pads," said Mario retracting his golden laser and launching it higher in the beginnings of his trek upwards.

Both females began to follow suit, Kendall, of course, limping awkwardly with the added weight of Tabetha on her.

Felicia paused in her movements when the sounds of helpless screaming tickled her eardrums. She looked behind herself, her laser wires growing warm in her hands until she hissed in pain and drew them away.

Mario noticed the blonde motionless with her feet squared on the purple wall "Felicia," he received no answer "Felicia?"

The blonde, who hadn't even turned to regard the male, grit her teeth and dashed down the Net.

"Felicia!"

She continued running as if she were on the ground, completely defying newtonian logic with the sheer force of her speed.

With a sudden breath, the blonde squatted and projected herself off of the wall, gun in hand. Her lime green lasers snapped off of the Net behind her as she front flipped towards her target: a Plus squeezing a soldier between its disgusting, meaty fingers.

Felicia pulled the trigger as she free fell away from the Net. The bullet hit the Plus' wrist at an awkward angle far away from the soldier, sending flurries of pixels and chunks of orange mock flesh in the air and even across the soldier's body.

The severed hand disintegrated as the fingers' grip began to ease on the soldier, allowing them to fall to their freedom.

Felicia began to press forward in the beginnings of an attempt to catch them, but a stern hand caught her "Eh?!"

When the blonde turned around, she was met with Mario's unbiased face.

"Mario, let go of me!" she demanded, squirming out of his iron grip.

"No, not only is it too dangerous, but you're going against protocol," the male said, sternly.

Felicia continued the struggle and grunt as her uniform tugged at her "Forget protocol! I need to save that soldier!"

"You've intervened enough," said Mario, tugging more harshly at Felicia's back as he began to scoot up along his 4D maneuver gear "It's up to their teammates, now, to keep them in safe hands."

Felicia bit down angrily in spite, but allowed herself to be carried by the honey-haired boy. After all, he was right. Orders were orders.

* * *

Ariana whistled a long note as she raised her hand over her brown eyes to scope the sight around her "What a sight."

"I'm surprised Calvin and Elric aren't here yet," said Marceline, walking up to her partner's side "They probably took up your offer when you told Calvin we could handle Pluses on our own."

"Hm, probably," said Ariana "So I guess you should prove my point right?"

Marceline gave a small smirk and then faced all the soldiers standing on the roof with them "Alright soldiers, I want you to analyze your surroundings," she said "Even though this predicament is different, I want you all to proceed protocols as if nothing has changed."

"But sir, that's insande! The Net is completely breached!" sputtered a boy "We've only had minor cracks before and proceeding as normal is a stupid id-" the male soldier yelped slightly as his collar was snatched into the dark-haired woman's grip.

There was a considerable height difference between the two, the tall, tanned boy was stunned to silence by Marceline's cold stare.

"Soldier, I will not have my womanhood doubted just because you feel "sir" has some sort of added authority that "ma'am" does not," Marceline said "And I believe I don't need to repeat myself when I give orders. I have Lieutenant Ariana for that."

The brunette giggled innocently in contrast to the bite in Marceline's voice "I don't mind being an echo."

Marceline inclined her head in an appropriate nod "Hope that answers your question, cadet."

The still unsure-faced boy gave a blushed "Yes, ma'am," backing away as if the petite lieutenant would find another reason in his awkwardness to lash out at him again.

"Very good," said Marceline with a satisfied grin.

* * *

The blonde carried the unconscious weight of the pigtailed girl over her shoulders, making sure to stay in the rut that was purposely created and designed to lead into the emergency entrance of the infirmary.

"Just hang in there, Tabetha," Felicia told the unconscious body as the sounds of warfare and battle hedged farther away from her the more the rut slanted deeper underground "I'll get you there, soon."

Even though the rut was purposely placed to help injured soldiers evacuate, people like Felicia still struggled getting out of the way of war. This portion of the rut was flush to the wall, after all, but this was a special case, a situation in which the wall had actually been breached. Felicia was smart enough to steer clear of the initial broken entrance.

Darkness enclosed the blonde as she dove deeper into the depths of the underground safety. Moans of the injured bounced off of the grey hallways. Thankfully, a nurse at the front desk near the mouth of the hallway rushed to Felicia's side.

"I've got her," he said, accepting Tabetha's dead weight.

Felicia thanked him through a sigh and began to walk back the way she came, feeling a tinge of jealousy that she didn't have the luxury of being able to sit out during the heat of the war. She immediately cast away the sinfully selfish thought.

Felicia stumbled slightly as she climbed out of the rut and reached the surface. It was a sudden force that had made her lose her footing.

Upon catching herself, the blonde was met with an "Ah, Felicia."

The British accent behind the roaring of engines reached out to the girl, making her look up to see her lieutenants on their motorbikes.

"Lieutenant Ariana," greeted the soldier pulling on a professional manner as she straightened herself out.

"Are you alone, Felicia?" questioned Marceline.

"Well, n- yes," the blonde awkwardly answered "I was on the Net cleaning the cannons with our other squad members, Lieutenant. We separated when I took Tabetha to the infirmary.

Marceline's voice seemed to soften ever so slightly "That's not good," she scooted her motorbike so the back could be offered to Felicia "Hop on, Felicia."

Felicia hesitated for a second; just a second. However, she complied and straddled the seat behind Marceline "Sure, thank you."

"My pleasure," replied the dark-haired girl, revving the engine once more "Hold on tight."

"Oh-h," Felicia hadn't realized Marceline was keeping herself from moving until she got a good grip on her for the blonde's own safety. The blonde carefully wrapped her arms around the smaller girl's waist, surprised to feel bumps of a six-pack beneath the thin fabric of her shirt.

After that, the powerful winds of cutting through the air blew back her blonde hair as they drove.

* * *

Kendall dropped down from the air behind the Plus with the weight of a boulder and shot a bullet into the crease of its back. Pixels bled out of the beast's back like a pair of great fairy wings.

It began to turn around in response, but Mario's figure zipped by and planted an even faster bullet just barely on the edge of the white plus sign, sending the mighty beast to its death.

Kendall soared downwards and landed herself on the shallow roof of a building. Mario was quick to follow suit.

As the female huffed and panted in exhaustion, Mario breathed out "Where's Felicia?"

Kendall raised an eyebrow as she side-glanced the town built around the soldiers' headquarters "It _is_ taking her a while," she said "She probably ran into more Pluses along the way."

Mario sighed, disappointed by the response "That's the last thing I wanted to hear."

The sound of numerous footsteps and the hum of wires drew closer to the two adults.

Looking up, both could see the fellow soldiers of another squad approaching them.

The tanned, tall boy approached them "You two," he said "You're from the Survey Corps, right?"

"Yes," said Mario.

"So you've seen Lieutenant Marceline and Ariana, right?" the boy pressed.

This time, Mario had to say "No."

Kendall stepped up "Aren't you part of the Stationary Guard?"

"Yeah, but your lieutenants gave us orders anyway," replied the tall boy as if accusing the two of them.

Now Mario's interest was more piqued "What were they?"

"To follow the same protocol!" the boy said with incredulous frustration.

"Wh-what?" stuttered Kendall "But, this an entirely different case. Other times when a Plus slipped into the Net, it was through a faulty crack that could be fixed on the spot, right? I've never heard of the Pluses banded together to burst an entire hole through the Net!"

"Tch, don't you think I know that?" chided the boy "I've been in Youtube for years and this has never happened."

"Wait, are you sure that's what they asked for?" questioned Mario, furrowing his brow "That can't be right."

"It certainly isn't right, but it's what they said," the boy said, scratching the back of his neck with an agitated hand "I saw them drive by a while ago on their bikes with your girlfriend."

Mario's cocoa brown eyes widened subtly "Excuse me?" he managed to say in a perfectly solid voice.

"Your girlfriend, Felicia," explained the boy.

Faint traces of ruby red painted Mario's cheeks as his features contorted into a stubborn frown "She's not my girlfriend," he said, adjusting his black scarf "She's my sister."

"Oh, my mistake," though the boy didn't seem even slightly apologetic.

With a wry smile on her pink lips, Kendall broke the tension by saying "Well, orders are orders."

* * *

The three females stood boldly on the roof, scoping their surroundings.

Felicia frowned "There's so many of them…" she breathed.

"But it's much less than what we started with," commented Marceline "I knew we could trust our soldiers."

Ariana stretched her arms above her head, then opened one brown eye at a particular sound. She smirked "Well would you look at that," she said "Three proportionally sized Pluses for our liking."

The shorter lieutenant and the blonde looked in the direction the brunette had pointed in.

"Care for a little target practice?" inquired Ariana.

"I thought you'd never ask," Marceline then turned to Felicia "Since you're new, I'll let you borrow my motorbike."

"Really?" questioned Felicia, highly flattered by the offer "Thank you, Lieutenant."

"Again, my pleasure," said Marceline as she casually began to stroll down the roof, her lasers shooting out once she was just a yard off of the edge.

Felicia watched as the petite woman launched into the air.

"Well, good luck," said Ariana, stealing away the blonde's attention with a chipper salute before she, too, took flight.

* * *

Marceline calmly approached her target, as it still looked around with eyes it didn't possess for the source of motion it was sensing.

"What an ugly fellow you are," she said "A total eyesore," upon regarding the beast with that last statement, she shot a single laser at his collar bone.

The dark-haired woman lifted her gun in her arms and jumped at an angle, causing her to soar around the Plus' head. Immediately, the Plus began to struggle once it sensed the tightening pressure of Marceline's pink heated laser circling around its neck. However, it was a futile effort because once the dark-haired woman landed on the indent of the beast's collar bone, the wire only tightened. She was instantly propelled backwards when she landed a bullet in the Plus' chest.

* * *

Ariana swept clean through the air in a wide arch with her gun aimed forward as her orange lasers clamped and swung around at a quick pace. There was no halt or hitch in her flight whatsoever.

She finally retracted her lasers for the last time upon flipping forward and firing a hole into the rather surprised Plus.

* * *

Felicia steered her motorbike around the building, prepared to come towards the Plus she had seen from her stance on the roof before.

She could have simply leaped off of the building towards the beast, but having been offered the motorbike by her lieutenant, she felt it would be inappropriate to decline the given advantage.

She let go of one handle, increasing her grip on the other to balance it out, and reached over her back to pull out her gun. The blonde was just about to reach the proximity of the Plus, but then halted.

"Eh…?"

Standing before the beast was a petite soldier, just about Lieutenant Marceline's size but with less pronounced curves.

Felicia only saw the back of the girl's figure as she shook slightly, then noticed a gun in her arms that was aimed at the beast.

The blonde didn't even have the time to recognize that the situation was pretty much taken care of before the Plus indicated it had sensed both girls' presence by focusing specifically in their direction.

That's when Felicia realized " _Shit! I blew her cover!_ " she internally hissed to herself, damning the humming engine of her motorbike and the vibrations it sent across the dirt.

She noticed the girl flinching instantly as the Plus twitched in her direction and reached for her.

Felicia instinctively rushed over, just barely making it to the girl's side at the last second, and tucked her arms underneath the girl's, taking hold of her hands on the gun and shooting a bullet square on the beast's white plus.

A whirlwind of blue pixels flew around the two girls, wafting an interestingly metallic scent into her nostrils.

" _Like a penny, almost_ …" she thought. The blonde then came back to her senses upon realizing she still held the girl in her arms and carefully slid them away from her.

"Y-You saved me…"

Felicia looked up and noticed the girl had turned around. She had a pretty child-like face and an equally soft-spoken voice to match, though not nearly as high-pitched as Marceline's or Tabetha's voice. Black hair with the blue sheen to it encased her face in short tussles and curls, cradling her head almost like a boy's hair. One of her large turquoise eyes was concealed by what appeared to be a poker-faced eyepatch.

The blonde didn't want to admit it, but…something seemed eerily familiar about the girl.

"Thank you," she breathed.

"It's no problem," Felicia managed to say while trying not to squint at the noticeable black hair's blue undertones and pale, flawless skin "Are you okay, though? What happened?"

The girl tugged on her jacket sleeves, embarrassed "My gun got jammed. I was trying to fix it before the Plus could notice."

Felicia tried not to think of what could have happened if she didn't jump to the rescue in time "I've never seen you around before," she said "What's your name?"

"Crystal," said the girl.

Felicia nodded "Crystal," she repeated.

" _Nope, doesn't seem familiar at all,_ " she thought as she ran the name through her mind.

Suddenly, the roar of a motorbike edged closer and closer to the girls' hearing range.

Dust rolled in layers as Ariana arrived with Marceline clinging to her back.

"Ah, good to see you didn't get mauled!" the brunette cheered in all enthusiasm "We just dropped by to see if you needed any assistance."

"Judging by the looks of it, you handled it all pretty well," Marceline said, sliding off of the motorbike as her dark eyes raised up to where the Plus used to be. When she lowered her gaze back down to Felicia, she instantly noticed Crystal "Oh, hello soldier," she said to the unfamiliar face "Where are your team members? It's not safe to run into battle alone."

"A-Actually," Crystal teased her blue shirttail "I'm not part of a military branch yet."

"Hm?"

"What?"

"Huh?"

The three women's responses were followed by Ariana sliding off of her motorbike over to Marceline's side "How did that happen?" the brunette asked, now concerned.

Crystal shrugged, avoiding their eyes, timidly "I honestly don't know…" she said "My name just wasn't called that day."

"The surprise Plus attack probably interrupted before you got called," snorted Marceline "What's your name?"

"Crystal," replied the girl.

"Crystal…?" Marceline's thin brows knitted together as she subtly begged for the remainder of the name.

The girl grew timid again "I don't have a last name."

Ariana smirked as her brown eyes danced with mischief "Oh? A girl without a last name?" she teased "Could it be that you're one of the descendants of a Youtube Legend?"

Crystal's black brows bounced in surprise as she gasped.

"Well, the Plus situation seems to have fixed itself," said Marceline, looking around and listening out for any sounds of war "At least for us. I can't say the same for the Net repair squad," she muttered "Let's head back to the headquarters and confirm this little theory there."

Ariana and Marceline hopped onto their motorbikes in the same fashion they held originally; Ariana driving with Marceline behind her. Only having two motorbikes, Felicia drove with Crystal, and this time, the blonde was the one who instructed the other to "Hold on tight," before two thin arms wrapped around her waist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Levi's "Take a look at all these big-ass trees" line comes back with a vengeance.


	6. Chapter 6

Crystal sat on the bench modestly bouncing her leg with her hands folded neatly on her lap. She was alone in the office with nothing but her own anxious thoughts to accompany her.

"Hello?" a voice called in sync with the opening of the door.

Crystal looked up to see Felicia at the door.

"Hey Crystal," greeted the blonde.

"Hi Felicia," replied the petite girl in her delicate voice "Uhm, have you seen our lieutenants lately?"

Felicia shook her head "Nope. In fact, I came in to ask you the same thing."

Crystal sighed softly, looking down at her lap again "They took some DNA samples from me to verify that I was a descendant," she said "But that was a while ago."

"Hmm," Felicia chewed on the information "Maybe I should check on them."

"Oh, I don't think it's best to bother them," said Crystal, waving away the blonde's idea.

Felicia smirked "Tch, I'm just a little curious about how they're doing," she said "Don't worry, I won't be a nuisance."

As the blonde left the room, Crystal opened her mouth to argue back, but couldn't find it within her to do so. So she let the door close behind Felicia in silence.

* * *

Felicia walked down the hallways in search of her lieutenants' dorms. She looked continuously at each labelled dorm. Being in the area of the higher-ups, the dorms weren't labelled by number like the soldiers, but rather by name plates. She roamed until she found herself at a door that read " _Lt. Ariana/Lt. Marceline_ ".

" _They share a dorm?_ " thought Felicia.

The blonde knocked on the door, but it responded by sliding open upon the second knock. Assuming one of her superiors had opened it from the inside, Felicia walked in "Lieutenants?"

She stepped into the spacious bedroom, which she noted was nearly twice the size of her own. The blonde ogled the spectacle around her in awe, but stopped once her eyes landed on a figure in the corner.

Felicia yelped when she realized it was Marceline, who was sitting before her dresser and had been staring at the blonde in silence.

"Ah, Lieutenant you scared me…!" gasped the blonde, clutching her shirt collar for stability.

"I could say the same," said the ink-haired woman "I would tell you to knock first, but that door's always been a tad glitchy. It opens just from the faintest touch," in that moment, Marceline turned in Felicia's direction and stepped out of her chair, showing the blonde a sight that painted her cheeks deeper shades of red.

The ink-haired woman had her pale pink blouse unbuttoned, revealing a black binder and her toned abdominal muscles.

Marceline paid no mind to her exposure as she waltzed passed Felicia and entered a code into the door that made it shut closed. It was only when she turned around and caught Felicia's crystal blue gaze that she made any sort of acknowledgement.

"If you're wondering, no, I am not transgender," she said.

Finally Felicia found her voice "Then why are you wearing a binder?"

Marceline sighed and seated herself on the bed "As the lieutenant, I am supposed to be a figure of authority around here," she explained "As a woman, though, I won't be taken that seriously...with a D cup."

"But isn't it dangerous to move around so much with a binder on?" questioned Felicia.

"That's why this one is a size too big," said Marceline "It's about as harmless as a sports bra and makes me look like a solid B cup."

The entire fact was unsettling to Felicia. Having a superior like Marceline being forced to hide herself for the sake of avoiding being degraded almost made the blonde feel sick. It hadn't taken long for Felicia to see that Marceline was a strong woman. To imagine anyone thinking otherwise was impossible for the blonde.

"So is there a reason you were looking for me?" questioned Marceline.

Realization struck Felicia "Oh! Crystal told me you and Lieutenant Ariana were checking her DNA to see who she's a descendant of."

"Ah yes," said Marceline "Ariana should be in the lab downstairs."

"Thanks, Lieutenant Marceline," said Felicia.

Just as she began to leave, she stopped herself before the door "Uhm, Lieutenant, do you really share a room with Lieutenant Ariana?"

"Yes."

"But there's only one bed."

"Yes."

"Oh…have a good day, Lieutenant Marceline."

* * *

Felicia had followed Marceline's instructions and was easily able to find the plainly labelled lab. The only other rooms on that level of the military base, she noted, were supply rooms that only seemed to be used to further help the progress of any research mechanics like Ariana did.

She knocked on the door, a fear of the door sliding open without consent of the owner brewed in her stomach. However, when the door slide open, it was followed by a "Come on in."

Although relieved that history hadn't repeated itself, Felicia couldn't help but notice the elder's voice wasn't in its chipper tone. Regardless, she walked into the lab "Hello? It's me, Lieutenant."

The lab was dimly lit, various shapes in the forms of machinery lining the walls of the room. It was about a third larger than the lieutenants' dorm, Felicia noted, but was an inconsistent block shape rather than a perfect square room.

"Felicia?"

The blonde turned her head towards the bemused sound of her name being called by the English accent.

Ariana was hunched over a computer desktop set up with a marble white lab coat that reached her knees over her uniform "For a moment, I thought you were Marceline."

Felicia shook her head with a chuckle "Just me," she said "Although, I was told by Lieutenant Marceline that you would be here."

"Oh? Was she looking for me?" questioned the brunette as she pivoted her swivel chair in the younger's direction.

"No," said Felicia "It was actually _me_ who was looking for you."

Ariana's eyebrows bounced slightly in surprise "Well, well, what can I do you for, Felicia?"

"I heard you were doing a DNA check on Crystal-" Felicia's explanation was cut off by a groan from the elder.

"Have I ever!" said Ariana with an overly dramatic roll of her honey brown eyes.

Bemused by the response, Felicia asked "Is it…not going how you how wanted it to go?"

Ariana rested her cheek in her hand "You guessed right," she said "Apparently, Crystal has a very rare blood type. It was a hassle just coding it into the P.L.A.Y. system," she then patted the computer "No offense to you, P.L.A.Y."

"None taken, Miss Ariana," replied the gender-neutral voice.

"Ohh, that's what took so long," Felicia muttered to herself, not realizing Ariana could hear her.

"Yeah, sorry to bring this bad news to Crystal," said Ariana "I just can't figure it out."

"Indeed," agreed P.L.A.Y. "Never have my scanners ever experienced such a blood type. It may be a genetic mutation of some kind."

Embarrassed for making the two feel inadequate, Felicia reassured them "No, it's fine. You're working hard already and that's enough."

Ariana smiled "Thanks, Felicia."

"Don't worry, ladies," piped up P.L.A.Y. "We'll be able to get theses results in. That's a promise."

* * *

Another knock on the door perked Crystal's ears. She looked up with a gasp, but was again disappointed and also confused by the unfamiliar face before her.

Standing in the doorway was Tabetha.

The brunette inclined her head with an equally bemused expression in her grey eyes "Hmm, have I seen you before?" she asked.

Crystal shook her head "No, I wouldn't think so."

Tabetha's bilue eyes squinted ever so slightly as she took a step towards the dark-haired girl "Are you sure?" she questioned "I could have sworn I'd seen a face like yours before."

"O-Oh?" Crystal watched as the slender woman seated herself beside her, their hips touching.

"Yes, I recognize you completely," Tabetha lightly brushed her fingers across the tips of Crystal's hair "You have this blue tint in your hair that really makes your eyes pop," the brunette said in a softer voice, causing Crystal to blush lightly.

Tabetha chuckled "That's a cute shade of pink for such pale skin. I recognize that, too," she traced her finger down the girl's jawline "Though, it seems you changed your look a bit. I remember you hair being much, much longer. And this plain eyepatch…" she reached out for the ceramic poker face over the girl's eye "…why would you want to hide such a beautiful-"

Crystal reflexively slapped the hand away, not hard, but quick enough to catch the taller female off-guard.

Tabetha held her hand up, staring at Crystal, who stared back at her with wide eyes, as if _she_ had been the one who had been hit. The fear in her eyes looked like she was anxiously waiting for the consequences of her actions.

"C-Crystal…?"

The two females turned to the left of them, landing their eyes on Felicia standing in the open doorway.

Her crystal blue gaze roamed to Tabetha and a flame flickered behind her eyes "What's going on in here?" she growled.

"Oh…nothing much," said Tabetha, seemingly having calmed down considerably after the outburst "Just acquainting myself with my fellow soldiers," she said, draping her arm over Crystal's petite shoulders, causing the girl to shrink.

Felicia, of course, wasn't on board with the act.

The blonde squinted her crystal blue eyes at the smirking brunette. Felicia's voice dropped to a deadly tempo as she glared at Tabetha "Crystal, Lieutenant Ariana would like to see you in her lab."

The petite girl practically ejected herself out of her seat and sped past Felicia. As the dark-haired female left the room, Felicia shot Tabetha a final warning glare.

The brunette gave a single nod with a smile.

With a disgusted scoff, Felicia turned on her heel and let the door slide close behind her.

" _Dammit, I don't trust her_ ," thought the blonde with a frown " _I don't know what it is, but something just isn't right with her._ "

She looked up at Crystal, who had been leaning her back against the opposite wall with her hands behind her back and her legs crossed over one another "Uhm..."

Felicia sighed and approached the girl "Are you okay?"

Crystal nodded "Yes."

"Crystal," said Felicia "Don't tell the others, but…I think you should steer clear of Tabetha."

Curious to hear her own suspicions being confirmed, the Crystal's turquoise eyes lit up to attention "Why?"

Felicia glanced behind her as she spoke "I just…agh, something just doesn't feel right about her," she said.

"But why wouldn't you want me to tell anyone this?" questioned Crystal.

Felicia turned back to face Crystal "Because I haven't seen her actually _doing_ anything. If I were to tell too many people, they would think I'm trying to frame her out of sheer spite," she said.

"Ah…" said Crystal "I understand."

There was a pause between the two girls.

"Fe…Felicia? May I share something with you?"

The blonde responded with a reassuring "Sure you can."

Despite giving permission, the shorter female bite her lip in hesitance "It's…it's rather personal, though. Please, don't let anyone else know."

Felicia grinned "Of course, a secret for a secret."

"Oh! So it is," a minute smile curled on Crystal's lips as her nerves eased "Well, the thing is, I'm pretty…different…from the other soldiers here."

Felicia inclined her head curiously "Well, we're all unique in her own way," she was sure that wasn't what the shorter female was referring to, but she didn't know how else to respond.

Crystal subtly shook her head "N-No, I mean, in my case, it's not like that," she said.

Even more confused, Felicia asked "What's it like then?"

Crystal only seemed to be more hesitant in her effort to search for the right words "It's like…it's my body," the girl breathed out, placing her hand on her collar bone.

Felicia raised a blonde brow "Your body?"

The dark-haired girl remained silent.

"Crystal? What are you trying to say?"

The shorter girl's turquoise eyes avoided Felicia's as the silence between them prolonged.

"Cry-" the blonde was interrupted by the ringing of the bell that signaled to the military base that it was time for dinner. The hallway echoed with the muffled sounds of footsteps around the building migrating to a single point.

The door opened behind them and Tabetha waltzed out of the office wordlessly, ignoring the other two females and descending down the hallway to follow the other soldiers.

Felicia watched the girl with harsh skepticism, only returning her gaze back to Crystal when she could no longer see Tabetha.

The blonde placed a hand on Crystal's shoulder "Hey," she said, causing the shorter girl to lift her gaze up to her "Remember what I told you about her," Felicia said, nodding her head in the direction the brunette had taken her leave.

Crystal nodded "Right."

* * *

"What happened to your chin, Mario?"

Kendall had pointed out a bruising rouge on the left of the young man's jawline as he stood before the table she and Felicia had seated themselves in.

"I got into a bit of trouble with my dorm neighbors," he said plainly as he took a seat beside Felicia who had her jaw left hanging the moment he stepped up to the table.

"Well, what happened?!" the blonde asked with concern.

With the same monotone level of emotion, Mario explained "One of the guys accused me of being gay. Pretty soon, other guys joined in on it," he tossed his black scarf over his shoulder when it sagged "So I had to teach them not to put words in other people's mouths and to respect sexualities."

Kendall snorted in disgust "Tch, and here I thought we would only be fighting Pluses, not homophobic hicks."

"I'm not even gay."

"What?"

"I'm not gay," repeated Mario "I'm asexual."

Kendall quirked an eyebrow "You're an ace?"

Felicia chuckled "Heh, which is exactly why I can't imagine anyone thinking Mario was into anyone, especially guys."

Kendall nodded "Either way," she said "I'm glad to hear you let those bigots have it."

Mario grinned with a respective tip of his glass.

* * *

Marceline crunched on the vegetable hanging from her fork.

Ariana was seated beside her in the cafeteria, stirring around her tea "Pretty busy day, huh?"

"MmHm…" Marceline hummed in agreement as she continued with her mouthful of food.

"Nonetheless, things went successfully, though, right?" The brunette said, adding a copious amount of milk to her tea.

"MmHm…"

Ariana's spoon continued to clang the inside of her cup as she reached to add an equally large amount of sugar to her tea "Heh, I'm sure Commander Calvin and Chief Elric had their hands full today."

"MmHm…"

Ariana slowed her movements until the spoon in her hand finally came to a halt "Hey Marceline," she said "After this Plus situation is over and we leave the military, we should have a baby."

The ink-haired woman doubled over as she choked on the food in her mouth that she had still not finished eating and began coughing.

Chuckling, the taller female handed Marceline a handful of napkins to spit out her chewed food and wipe her mouth clean.

"What in the hell, Ariana?" quipped the ink-haired woman with a mild crack in her voice.

"What?" Ariana asked, shrugging "I was just kidding. C'mon, at twenty-one, do you really think I'm thinking about seriously starting a family?"

Marceline hiccuped "With your sense of humor, it's hard to tell _what_ you think seriously about."

Ariana leaned back in her seat "Well it's a reasonable goal. If the Pluses are anything like the Viruses, they're only be around for two more years, tops," she said "Also, it's not impossible for lesbians to have children."

Marceline chuckled "Heh, as long as I'm not the one carrying the baby."

"Aw c'mon, you may be short, but you still have child-bearing hips," urged Ariana "Which I don't understand since all you eat is rabbit food."

"It's kimchi."

"It's leaves and rice," said Ariana, studying the meal "And I'm surprised to see you paying homage to your roots via food. "

Marceline shrugged "I love to eat."

The brunette rolled her eyes "You don't have to tell me twice," she said "Say, since Mr. Fischbach was half German, aren't you going to bring along some German meals to the cafeteria, too?"

"It's too expensive to get," said Marceline.

"And kimchi isn't?"

"You said it yourself; it's just leaves," Marceline took another bite of her meal "So while we're on the topic of cultural cuisine, Queen Elizabeth, how's that Earl Grey tea?"

Ariana smiled and raised her cup "It's sweet tea and it's fantastic."

The ink-haired woman squinted "I just saw you drown your tea in milk and sugar. Are you sure it's all that "fantastic"?"

Ariana dipped her spoon into the cup and gently blew away the steam from the spoonful of tea "See for yourself, love."

Without hesitation, Marceline took the spoon into her mouth.

In that exact moment, the brunette holding the spoon for the other noticed a familiar figure walking past their table and over to a table consisting of two more females and a male across the cafeteria.

That figure was Crystal.

"Not bad," Marceline commented, licking her top lip "I should let you brew my green tea."

The brunette turned back her partner with a sober expression "Marceline," she hushed, craning her finger in a gesture that told the ink-haired woman to lean closer "Remember Crystal's DNA testing?"

"Yeah," Marceline whispered back.

"I found something very interesting about her blood," she said "It led me to a document file put into P.L.A.Y. by an outside source."

Marceline's dark eyes widened "You mean…the system was hacked?"

"No, not technically," whispered Ariana "Listen, I'll tell you about it tonight. For now, I have to take care of something else."

Ariana stood up from the table the two lieutenants shared and strode across the cafeteria towards the table where Felicia, Mario, Kendall and Crystal sat.

"Excuse me," the young girl hadn't even notice the elder's presence until she had spoken "Crystal, your results are ready."

The remaining color in Crystal's already pale face had drained.

* * *

Crystal stood in the lab, toying with the jacket sleeve of her uniform.

Ariana approached her with a tablet in her hand and a sober expression on her face.

"Crystal," said the brunette "You came into this military base knowing what you are, yes?"

The girl gulped "Y-Yes," she said "I'm…" she bowed her head "I'm not human," she said as her voice cracked.

Ariana nodded "Yes, which is why your blood is like this," she said, motioning towards the three tubes of blood on the test tube rack perched on top of a desk. They shined an unnatural fluorescent rainbow of colors in the light, almost like a syrupy wine.

"Indeed, your father was a genius," Ariana said, roaming around Crystal as her brown eyes studied her being "Creating an android capable of not only emotions, but normal body functions such as sweating, crying, bleeding, eating," she finally stopped on Crystal's left side "At first I was suspicious. I mean, why would an android be signed into Youtube as a soldier without anyone's knowledge? Now I know."

She handed the tablet to Crystal, who began to read the white screen.

The tablet displayed blocks of texts in the format of a letter.

" _You're one in a select few, but not an individual._

_You're specially made, but not unique._

_Your name holds a legacy, but not your future._

_Your face is iconic, but not one to call your own._

_And that's why you're here, Crystal._ "

The girl had recognized the words. It was from the letter she had received before she was signed into Youtube. However, this one had a new block of text below that.

" _Crystal, by the time you read this message, most likely, I will have passed on. You're in Youtube now and probably don't remember the life you used to have as a human. You may long to know your past, but for your own good, I ask of you not to explore it. I have given you a future and all I want for you is to live it the way you want to. Now I know that as a soldier, you have your worries and doubts, but I'm here to tell you that it's alright. You're strong, but not because I programmed you that way. You're strong because you're my daughter, Crystal._

 _Remember that your father loves you_..."

The bottom of the letter supposedly held a signature of some sort, but the name was faded out in a scrawl of overlapping numbers, letters and symbols.

Crystal was surprised when she saw a tear drop splatter onto the center of the tablet screen. She hurried to wipe her eyes of the moisture that had pooled there and handed the dampened tablet to the lieutenant "Sorry…" she sniffled.

Without a word, Ariana pulled the shorter girl into a hug, catching her off-guard at first. After a few seconds of trying to regain herself, Crystal had finally given in to her soft sobs.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now you know why Marceline was so bothered by being called "Sir."  
> The food that they have available on Platinum Web isn't limited to culture. So yes, they can have kimchi despite not being a Korean land.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A fair warning; as the story progresses, it might get a little more racy and I’m not just talking about sexual content. NSFW content in general may turn this from T (13+) to T+ (16+). So remember, watch out for the faint of heart and protect the kids!

Many soldiers had went to bed that night with shaky legs. No amount of discipline and training could turn them into fearless beings. People had been injured that day if not killed and the abnormality of the attack did nothing to ease their anxiety. However, Felicia was unsettled for a different reason.

The blonde had just woken up from another nightmare; another flashback of the horrible past. This time, though, the memory took place long before her years in the training camp.

Felicia frustratedly clamped her hands over her ears as her father's demanding voice pounded in her ears. It kept repeating the same words: " _You're the reason she's dead_ …!"

"No!" Felicia growled as she turned onto her side and curled up pitifully "I'm not! I'm not!"

She repeated the mantra to herself in angry sobs, just quiet enough to not raise any suspicions from her neighboring dorms.

After some agonizingly long minutes, the blonde had finally exhausted all of her grief. Her father's voice came to an end. Her breathing had returned to normal, leaving the dorm eerily silent. Felicia turned on her back and rested her arm on her forehead, her sweaty skin dampening her pillow and bedsheets.

"I'm not…" she repeated before adding on two more words to the mantra "...your daughter."

Those were her last words before she fell into a dreamless sleep. However, her speech continued in her slumber " _You may have adopted me, but that doesn't make you my father. Not in the slightest. I know who my real father is. I may have missed my chance to meet him, but his name will never escape me: Felix Kjellberg_."

* * *

"Rough night, hun?"

Felicia lazily twirled her fork into her vegetables as her cheek rested in her other palm "You guessed it," was her response to the brunette girl.

Now included into their table, Crystal piped up "I'm pretty sure no one got a good night's rest. It's pretty rattling that our first encounter with the Pluses went the way it did. From what I heard, the Pluses had only been able to slip through tiny cracks in the Net before."

"Well, that's what they said happened _before_ Youtube was even created," said Mario "Had we been there during that time period, we would know for ourselves if the claim is real or not."

"The only people who were here before any of us are the higher-ups," Kendall said, her brown eyes lowering to her tray of food in thought "We could ask the lieutenants."

On the last word, Felicia sprang up "Oh, Crystal, did Lieutenant Ariana tell you who you were a descendant of?"

The petite girl bit her lip as her fork made an awkward stroke across her plate "Ah...Cry. Cryaotic."

More distracted by the girl's body language, Felicia replied with a distant "Really now…?"

Breaking the tension, Kendall said "I've heard of him. Well, at least the few things people know about him," she then furrowed her eyebrows as she uttered a thoughtful "Strange how someone could be so famous and still a mystery to everyone."Mario

"Have you ever heard of The Great Gatsby?" inquired Mario, not even looking up from his cup of water.

To this, Kendall replied with a simple "Nope."

Mario shrugged "That's a shame. The explanation is in the novel."

It was a genuine statement, but with the lack of energy in the honey-haired male's voice, it sounded rather condescending in Kendall's ears.

Suddenly, Felicia jumped from her seat with a bright smile on her face "Lieutenants! Over here!" she cheered, waving over her superiors.

When the two women addressed the blonde, Marceline chuckled at the girl's enthusiasm as Ariana threw her an endearing smile in return.

Once they reached the table where the other four adults sat, Ariana was the first to speak "Eager to see your lieutenants first thing in the morning? Always a positive sign."

Marceline joked "Not too many people are all that happy to see their lieutenants," as she seated herself between Crystal and Mario "Looks like you didn't scare them off, Ariana."

Sitting between Felicia and Kendall, the brunette woman said "Says the woman who could bench press a Plus."

The Asian woman rolled her dark eyes "Don't even talk about Pluses…"

"Agreed," said Kendall with a single nod of her head.

"Aw, don't be like that," cooed Ariana as she glanced at the tired faces around the table "You have to admit that Pluses are pretty fascinating creatures."

Felicia squinted at the elder with a concerned "Lieutenant?" as Kendall simply uttered a confused "Hm?" Crystal blinked curiously at the woman in silence. Even Mario looked up to spare the English woman a glance.

"I take back my statement about not scaring them off," said Marceline.

Not even slightly dampened by the reactions, Ariana went on "Just let me explain. Think about it. Like Viruses, Pluses are neither animal nor machine. When you kill one, they disappear into just a flurry of pixels that eventually evaporate into nothing. Since that's the case, what's keeping them alive? Why are they carnivorous if they clearly don't need to eat? Why are the pluses on their chests-"

"I think you're scaring Crystal over here," deadpanned Marceline, whose left hip made direct contact with the dark-haired girl's shivering form.

Ariana sighed in defeat "If we could just get something, _anything_ from the Pluses' bodies, I could take it back to the lab for examination," she drummed her fingers on the edge of the table "Just something so I can understand this situation better."

The Asian woman across the table gave a sigh of her own as she reassuringly stroked Crystal's arm "A brainiac's mind never rests…" she said.

Kendall spoke up "It's still a mighty impressive trait for a woman to carry."

Just then, Ariana's brown eyes lit up "Oh! That's right! I nearly forgot to tell you all!"

Again the other four adults were caught off-guard by the elder's exuberant behavior, Marceline, again, remaining unfettered as she sipped casually from her tea cup.

"Marceline and I have very important news about Crystal," explained Ariana.

" _Confidential_ news," added Marceline, keeping her face neutral to avoid looking secretive "So meet us in the office later on."

The rest of their breakfast went on casually as they were able to shift right back into normal conversation. Despite the secret hanging in the air and the anticipation of more of Ariana's chipper attitude, the meal could actually be considered casual.

" _It's been so long since I've had a normal meal like this_ ," thought Felicia " _Talking and eating with people who care about me_ …"

The serene normalcy continued as the group conversed in the hallways, Felicia soaking up every minute of it. However, at all seemed to drain upon hearing these next words: "Do any of you remember Tabetha's dorm number?"

That's when she remembered.

Their squad was incomplete without Tabetha.

Crystal looked up at Felicia with worried eyes as the remainder of the group discussed who would go get her. The blonde gave her an understanding frown and a nod.

Apparently, Kendall had gone because when they entered the office, she was the only one who was absent. She wasn't gone for long, though, for the door had opened itself again right after it had closed and brought the two brunette women inside.

Although Tabetha hadn't made any gesture towards Felicia or Crystal that even addressed their presence, the two girls chose to sit as far away from her as possible.

"So, I'm sure Crystal has told you who she's a descendant of," Ariana waited for the nods and hums of affirmation before continuing "Well there's more to the story than that…"

* * *

"So, would you like to know what took that blood sample so long?"

"Y-You're asking now of all times?"

"You did ask, Marceline."

"Yeah, but it could've waited until we were in a less... _compromising_ position."

"Heh, I'd hardly call this "compromising". You seem to be enjoying this well…"

"Ah-h! J-Just fuckin' tell me, alright?"

"Hehe, you're so cute."

"Ariana…!"

"Alright, okay. So...Crystal is the descendant of Cryaotic."

"Hah...But, but I thought his daughter was killed in that fire-e…"

"Oh, she was...mmf, but you forgot Cryaotic was a genius."

"C-Could you be less vague?"

"He'd been-move your leg a little-working on an android at the time of Crystal's death...ohh, ngh...he put Crystal's brain in the android so she could continue to live."

"Ugh, I doubt other couples' pillow talk involves dead girls and brain transplants."

"We're not other couples, love."

* * *

In the office, Ariana continued to explain "Cryaotic was somehow able to hack into Youtube's files so that an edited version of Crystal's entry letter would open once her blood sample was put into the database. In a way, her blood acted as a complex password, hence why P.L.A.Y. had such a hard time processing it," with a quick glance at Crystal, she said "I won't disclose the details, but the letter informed us of Crystal's circumstance."

When those last words left the brunette's lips, there was a pregnant silence in the room. No eyes dared to wander in the petite girl's direction as she nervously tugged at her blue shirt tail.

To break the tension, Marceline spoke up "Remember, this is highly confidential information. What we told you doesn't leave this office," she ended that last statement with a firm tap of her heel on the hardwood floors "Do I make myself clear?"

An attentive "Yes, Lieutenant," rang from all five of the soldiers.

Marceline smiled slightly, his face relaxing "Good. Other than that, you aren't required to make any adjustments for Crystal. Treat her as you would any other soldier here. She may be an android, but she is still designed to be as human as the rest of us."

Placing a reassuring hand on Crystal's small shoulder, Felicia said "Not to worry, Lieutenant Marceline. We'll take good care of Crystal."

Upon hearing those words, the girl in question grinned for the first time she entered the room as her anxiety seemed to wash away.

* * *

Youtube's integration into Platinum Web was a difficult process. The goal for the military base was to ultimately place it somewhere that was most convenient for the soldiers' combat and also respectful to the island's inhabitants.

When it was built, Viruses only came from the southeast of the island, therefore Youtube was placed in the southeast coast of Platinum Web. Along with the military base, property and businesses to help the soldiers were also placed around Youtube. Businesses that supplied high grade food and technology were built. Some of the less financially fortunate also lived within this makeshift town, cut off from the rest of Platinum Web.

Right now, Felicia was passing through this town. The larger parts of her uniform such as her jacket and 4D maneuver gear were missing. Instead, she adorned a grey cloak over her bright pink Hollister T-shirt, trying her best to pass as an ordinary citizen and avoid any attention that would distract her from her goal.

The blonde earned a few glances as she walked down the street, but nothing more. She just wanted to return back to the military base before their downtime could be cut short.

"Where are you going off in such a hurry?"

"Don't you have time to drop a hello on your best friends?"

Felicia's breath rolled into a heavy stone and settled roughly in her gut upon hearing the two chiming voices.

When she turned around, India and Antonia were already closing the distance between themselves and her "H-Hey, guys…!" she said a little too enthusiastically "Haven't been able to see you, lately."

With her hands casually pulled behind her head, Antonia snorted "Tell me about it! Weren't you pissed that we weren't put into the same division?"

Felicia sighed "Pretty much, especially after making such a point to stick together."

"Well, it's not like we won't be able to see one another ever again," piped up India "Like now, you're using your break time to come visit us," in a joking manner, the bespectacled woman said "At least, I _hope_ that's what you were doing."

Felicia nervously laughed, then said "Of course! But, I'm afraid I forgot to take care of something back at the base. I'll have to come back later."

India raised a curious brow "Oh? And what might that be?"

Felicia bit her lip as she took a few careful steps backwards "Ah, just, some files Lieutenant Marceline wanted me to deliver. She'd be pretty pissed to find out I, uh, y'know, forgot about them..."

Suddenly, Antonia gasped as her chocolate brown eyes popped in excitement "Is that a Gaming Orb?!"

Before Felicia could stiffen her arm up again to conceal the device beneath her clothes, the bolder of the brunette duo had flipped Felicia's cloak open, revealing the smooth, silver orb in her arms.

India's crystal blue orbs also widened in admiration "Hm? What are you doing with that?" she hummed with a smile playing on her lips.

"How did you even get the money for that? We hardly get any money that doesn't go straight to the higher-ups," Antonia added on without giving Felicia space to answer India's question.

"Oh, I, uh, still had some left over from when I was in Brennenburg," the blonde then swallowed "Actually, I was told to bring this in by Lieutenant Marceline."

"You said she just wanted to to transport some files," stated India, quick as a whip.

Felicia bit her lip as she felt anxiety creep up on her "I mean, well, the files are actually about the Orbs. Y'know, we need as much technology as possible for our weapons and defenses."

Without changing her matter-of-fact attitude, India replied with a "Hm, I never heard anything about that."

Felicia forced another awkward laugh "I-I guess I'm the first to know, heh," there was an awkward pause when her chuckle was met with silent stares from the two brunettes "Anyway, I should hurry up. Like I said, Lieutenant Marceline doesn't take any slack!" She began speed-walking away before breaking out into a modest jog. India and Antonia watched the girl's retreating figure until she was just a dot in the distance.

"You're so ignorant," chided India as her hand landed a harsh slap on Antonia's shoulder.

The other cried out in pain and shot a glare at the bespectacled woman "The hell was that for?!"

Still with a cold distance gaze in her icy eyes, India said "You almost gave away our positions. Any further into the topic and Felicia may have noticed that we're not in her squad with the other descendants."

Unable to cover up for her mistake, the darker haired girl simply scowled at herself.

"Did you see her talisman?" questioned India, still avoiding contact with the other woman.

Antonia nodded "Yeah. Apparently she did find the note from Felix."

India licked her lips "And now that she's got that Orb, this should make things a lot more interesting," her fingers found their way up to the turtle neck of her white sweater. There, a magenta choker necklace was revealed beneath the fabric, displaying a pair of arrows just above her collarbone.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in this fem!Youtube AU, I’ve made quite a few Game Grumps stories, but now I think I’ll be working on making more general Let’s Player stories ("general" as in Let’s Players who don’t really belong to a group like Pewds, CTKen, JackSepticEye, etc.). Hell, I might even try my hand again at The Late Night Crew.  
> Also, for those who are reading Steam Train, Steam isn’t the same as Bullet Royale.  
> Bullet Royale: a virtual combat game of "laser tag" almost, in which the players hit their opponents with pixelated bullets. This is one of the many games on the Game Orb server.  
> Steam: a virtual place that holds many games of different genre types (shooters, puzzle, horror, etc.). Although Steam members never fight one another in the combat Steam levels, the community turns in into a sport and compete to get the best stats and scores.  
> And lastly, Steam hardly affects the plot of Steam Train at all. Bullet Royale, on the other hand, still has a lot more mystery than you think...

" _This isn't gonna work_ ," the bitter piece of Felicia's conscious chastised.

The blonde was sitting cross-legged on a floating platform with her fingers anxiously paddling on her knee caps. A bright blue hologram of a gun barrel hovered beside her. She wasn't sure what to get when she browsed the Bullet Royale Inventory, so she tried to get one that matched what she had seen the hooded woman use in their first encounter.

One of Felicia's hands would occasionally linger to the golden fist emblem dangling from her neck, as if fearing Tabetha's fingers would reappear to snatch it off of its chain this time.

" _It's not like I've figured out how to use this thing anyway_ ," she thought " _But I have to try something, anything! This is the only place I can settle the score_."

Felicia blew a lock of hair out of her face, growing more relaxed as uneventful minutes passed by "Hardly anyone comes to this server…" she muttered.

Ironically, just after she had finished her statement, the all-too-familiar voice boomed: " _Player Two has entered the arena_."

Felicia's blue eyes snapped open in alert. She steeled herself before panic could set in and crouched down on her block, listening intently.

Once the blonde heard the whirring sound of a new player materializing into the server, she darted her head in the direction from which she heard it. Down on the ground beneath her, a petite figure could be seen; a skinny build, but still feminine. Her purple cloak was absent, revealing a blue and green ensemble and her low twin pigtails.

" _It's her!_ " Felicia's mind screamed in premature victory.

Flicking her tongue over her lips, the blonde took hold of the gun barrel in her hand and took aim.

"T-set..." she whispered to unlock the safety cap.

As she watched the girl stand in place, seemingly taking in her surroundings, five blue bullets fired from the barrel and made their way to the girl. Felicia refused to be lenient.

As expected, a shrill cry escaped from the woman as she was knocked down on impact and hit by every single bullet.

" _Player Two has suffered 20 damage points_."

With a satisfied huff, Felicia lept off of her block and descended down to the girl's level.

"Alright, no more fooling around," the blonde threatened as she approached the slouched figure "I'm not about to waste time dealing with your Drive-Bys anymore. We're gonna settle this now-"

Felicia paused.

The fallen woman was wearing silk green stockings with a pair of blue shorts. A form fitting sleeveless top wrapped around her torso and matching blue ankle boots adorned her feet. Her two ponytails were thin and a much more vibrate brunette color and her head adorned an indigo baker boy cap.

"This isn't her…"

The panting brunette caught sight of Felicia, her gunmetal eyes widening. She immediately scrambled to face Felicia and brought out her gun.

"No wait! Please!" Regardless of the pleas, a pair of large bullets struck Felicia, sending her on her back in a pile of dispersed pixels with a harsh thud.

The blonde shook her head to gather her bearings, but was immediately faced with the end of a large double barrel gun when she opened her eyes. She then shot her gaze up at the woman, whose youthful features were twisted in irritation.

"If that's how you want to play it, then fine!" her voice was shrill and had a notable Irish accent laced in it "I'm not afraid to play dirty!"

"Wait, wait! I thought you were someone else!" Felicia spat, hoping that would save herself from an immediate Game Over (and more pain).

The woman blinked in confusion, but carefully pulled her gun back "Tch, and who were you trying to get shooting like a maniac?" she snorted.

"This girl named...damn..." Felicia groaned, genuinely annoyed by the girl's anonymity "I don't know who she is, but she's been pulling me into Drive-By Bullet Royale matches and trying to kill me."

The irritation washed off of the Irish woman's face and was replaced with concern "Kill you?" she asked, lowering her gun. She then approached Felicia and helped her stand up "How? You can't actually hurt someone here."

With a sigh, the blonde said "That's something she doesn't seem to understand," she paused when she noticed just how short the woman was compared to the hooded figure. She couldn't have reached nearly five feet tall "I don't know what else is the point of these Drive-Bys, but she looks just like you."

At that, the woman gasped, her gunmetal eyes widening "Is she the one framing me?!" she asked, grabbing Felicia's arm as if to shake the information from her "Is she toting around as me so she doesn't get in trouble?!"

Nettled by the tiny woman's extreme reaction, Felicia could only stutter "W-What?"

As if that was the answer she was looking for, the woman released Felicia and began muttering to herself "Ugh! I knew that's why I got banned from Bullet Royale! I told them it wasn't me! I told them!" she paced around in frustration as she gripped her hair "This is crazy!"

Felicia watched the scene in distraught " _This is worse than I thought. Not only is this chick trying to kill me, but now she's impersonating people to shift the blame?_ " she shook her head " _What is wrong with that girl?_ "

"What's this lassie's name?"

Felicia barely registered when the tiny woman returned to her with the accusing question, practically standing on the tips of her toes just to lean in closer to the blonde.

"I-I don't know. I haven't even seen her face," Felicia hesitated, memories of her past few days in Youtube flashing through her mind in lingering strokes "I'm starting to think it's my teammate, Tabetha. They sound pretty similar and have the same braids, but I'm just not sure."

The Irish woman straightened herself out with a huff "Well I'll tell you now that I'm no Tabetha," she declared "My name is Siana, but everyone calls me Jamie."

Raising a perplexed brow, Felicia asked "Why?"

"It's my screen name," the Irish woman said "JamieSepticEye."

However, this only further confused Felicia "Jamie, septic, eye?"

"Well, my dad's screen name was " _Jack_ SepticEye" back when he was in Youtube. So when I was born, they already set-"

"Wait, wait, wait," Felicia interrupted, pushing out her hands as if to stop the woman's flow of words "Your father was a...Youtube Legend?"

With a proud grin, the Jamie nodded "Yup!" her past frustrations seemingly subsided.

Taken aback, Felicia opened and closed her mouth in search of the right words, far too many of them rapidly flowing into her mind before she could sew them into a proper sentence. Finally, she was able to get out "Then why aren't you in Youtube with the rest of us?!"

Jamie furrowed her brow curiously ""Us"? You're a-"

"Descendant, yes," rushed Felicia "But why aren't _you_ signed into Youtube yet?"

The brunette sighed "Because I need to stop whoever's been framing me. I can't leave until I do."

Felicia couldn't help the groan of frustration that passed through her gritted teeth "What?! That's your reason?"

"Of course!" said Jamie "I can't leave knowing someone is dirtying my name."

Felicia brought her hand to her forehead in a loud slap "What's so damn important about Bullet Royale, anyway? It's just a stupid video game!" she moaned.

Now it was Jamie who was left flabbergasted, her jaw dropped open in a soundless gasp "Do you know what's at stake, lassie? Do you realized how priceless victory is around here?"

Felicia snorted "What? A stupid "MLG" title? Is that what's so "priceless" around here?" disgusted, she waved off Jamie "Look, you can stay in here for all I care. As far as I'm concerned, we don't need a video game junky holding the responsibility of Platinum Web in her hands."

The further she spoke, the more Jamie seemed to be offended, her cheeks reddening in anger and her features contorting into a sneer "Fine! Go ahead and waste your chance. See if I care!" she spouted out in a rather childish manner before turning swiftly to disappear into the Bullet Royale landscape.

After losing sight of her figure, Felicia assumed the woman had gone into a different server, seeing nothing of any worth in this one. She shook her head in disappointment "This wasn't what I was hoping for at all."

* * *

Kendall yawned into her hand before stretching out her arms high above her head "I hope you got a better night's rest than I did," she said, leaning against the door.

"Surprisingly, I did," Felicia's muffled voice said from the other side of the door "And I couldn't be more grateful. What happened to you last night?"

"I think I outdid myself when I was training with Lieutenant Marceline in the weight room," answered Kendall "I was so stiff I could hardly get to sleep."

"It was that intense?" half of Felicia's question became clear as she stepped out of her dorm, fully dressed.

Kendall snorted "Nah, I could keep up with her just fine. But a new workout is never easy to slip into."

That didn't do much to convince Felicia. Even though she had seen Kendall's skill on the battlefield and in practice firsthand, she couldn't imagine going up against Marceline. If she was fit enough to become a lieutenant, that must have made her a difficult opponent to go against.

"Hi guys," chirped the soft voice of Crystal.

Both women turned to see the smaller female standing at Kendall's side.

"G'morning, sweetie," lilted the tall brunette as she gently ruffled Crystal's black hair.

"Hey Crystal," greeted Felicia with a warm grin "You seem to be in a good mood."

After Kendall removed her hand from the shorter woman's hair, Crystal said "Oh, that's because I have great news from the lieutenants."

"So early in the morning?" queried Felicia.

"It's never too early for good news in my book," hummed Kendall, crossing her arms over her heavy bust.

Crystal continued "Another descendant joined us!"

Both of the elder girls' reactions were that of disbelief.

" _Another_ one?" gasped Felicia.

"Shoot, how many are there?" Kendall asked.

Crystal shrugged "I don't know. Lieutenant Ariana said they started out with five," she said "They're still helping the girl set up her dorm room. They told me to tell you that they'll be ready by around breakfast time."

"They sure work fast," commented Kendall, glancing at a nearby wall clock "Breakfast is in just another hour."

Crystal nodded, humming in agreement "Well, I should wake Tabetha up and tell her the news, too."

As the smaller woman scampered off, Kendall called out "We'll meet you two at the cafeteria."

However, Felicia wasn't so pleased with Crystal's decision "Crystal, wait…" the blonde warned. She paused, remembering that Kendall was beside her and suddenly became self-conscious of the fact.

Crystal halted "Yes, Felicia?"

The blonde pursed her lips, her crystal blue eyes darting from Crystal to Kendall in a discreet fashion " _Would Kendall believe me if I told her about Tabetha?_ " she thought, pensively " _No, she has more sense than that. She wouldn't just agree to an accusation based on my own paranoia_."

"It might take some patience to wake her up," said Felicia "Don't be afraid to walk in if she doesn't answer the door right away."

Crystal curiously tilted her head at the odd statement, but didn't oppose the blonde "Okay," she agreed before continuing down the same path again.

Kendall also raised a suspicious brow at Felicia's subtle lie "Is she really that heavy of a sleeper?" she asked.

"Yeah," Felicia drawled with a shrug.

* * *

After Crystal branched off into a different hallway, she was no longer near Kendall and Felicia. Only a few fellow female soldiers would stroll past her every so often as she made her way to Tabetha's door. The skip in her step didn't fade, the bliss in the woman's body very much evident.

Upon reaching the selected door, Crystal lightly rapped her knuckles against it "Tabetha..." she called softly with a lilt in her voice "The lieutenants have some important news for us."

At best, Crystal had expected blatant silence or a sleepy groan of displeasure. However, as she inclined her head towards the door, she noticed what seemed to be frustrated, near frantic scrambling.

"Tabetha…?" she questioned wearily "Tabetha, i-is something wrong?"

The petite female did not receive an answer, nor any indication that she had been heard at all. Her concern rose as she wondered " _Why does she sound so panicked? What could be going on in there?_ "

Crystal then remembered what Felicia said: " _Don't be afraid to walk in_ …"

The rest of her statement was disregarded as it didn't necessarily apply to the situation at hand. With that in mind, Crystal reached out and pulled on the safety handle, which was purposely put on every door in the building in case a scenario like this occurred.

With a shy huff, Crystal murmured "Excuse me for barging in, Tabetha, but…"

The black-haired woman stopped when she realized that her presence wasn't even acknowledged.

Tabetha had been pacing around on the other side of the room wearing nothing but her white uniform pants and an undershirt "Where is it? Where is it?" she muttered under her breath, her layered, disarrayed hair swayed with her steps like an ocean tide.

She began to run her hands through the clutter on her desk, clothes and pajamas falling to the floor in heaps. With a pause, Tabetha's shoulders went lax, seemingly having found whatever she was looking for. With ecstatic relief, the brunette took the tiny golden sword into her hand and brought it to her lips. As soon as she did that, a long-sleeved green shirt replaced her undershirt and her hair was tied into two braids.

Tabetha then pocketed the trinket and turned around to leave. That's when she made eye contact with Crystal.

Crystal, who had stayed silent the entire time, knew what she had just seen wasn't natural. Not only was personal technology not allowed in Youtube, but what Tabetha had was something she had never seen before. Before Tabetha had used the sword, her hair was a much darker shade of brown and wasn't as straight and glossy as it was now.

The taller woman clearly knew what she had done due to her wide eyes staring back at Crystal. Her gaze practically shrieked " _You weren't supposed to see that_."

"Don't move," she said sternly, instead.

Crystal hadn't even noticed that she had even made any movement to indicate that she had planned to leave the room, even though every fiber of her being was screaming at her to do so. Although Tabetha's demand was firm, Crystal could see worry in her features, panic almost.

"Crystal…" Tabetha said "I need you to promise not to tell anyone what you saw."

Almost instinctively, the shorter woman asked "Why? What was that?"

Tabetha sighed and pulled out the sword from her pocket again "It's my Talisman," she said, her voice soft "You've seen it before...in Bullet Royale."

Slowly, Crystal's eyes widened as realization dawned upon her. She remembered the hooded figure holding the sword against her opponent. She remembered watching from her hiding spot as the two dueled until the hooded figure came out victorious.

Crystal stiffened as Tabetha's hand reached out to touch the edges of her soft black hair like she had in the office. A warm smile was spread upon her pale pink lips "I told you I noticed your haircut," Tabetha said.

This time, Crystal allowed the brunette to continue gently stroking her "You...you were the one in the purple cloak?"

Tabetha nodded, the smile still present.

"But h-how?" asked Crystal "How did you know I was stuck in the server? How did you know how to get me out?"

"The guy who trapped you in there had a rather big mouth," Tabetha answered, shaking her head as if the thought of him disgusted her "I was able to figure out his hack. Once I undid that, all I had to do was get you a Game Over so that you could leave," she then snorted "And then Felicia showed up."

Upon hearing the blonde girl's name, Crystal remembered another quote from the girl: " _I think you should steer clear of Tabetha_."

She frowned sadly at the thought "Tabetha, I really think you should tell Felicia what happened."

"I can't do that," said the brunette, who stopped stroking Crystal's hair "This is much bigger than you think it is and I'm taking a risk just by telling you, alone."

"Does it have to do with you disguising yourself?"

Both Crystal and Tabetha were caught off guard by her confrontational question. For a moment, Crystal doubted that the question even passed through her lips at all.

Regardless, Tabetha answered "Yes, it does." Her hands found themselves on Crystal's shoulders, gentle and shy "Crystal, I don't want you to believe that I'm the bad guy. What I'm doing may not make sense now, but that's only because I have not told you everything," she looked up into the black-haired woman's eyes "Can I trust you with this secret?"

Crystal licked her lips as she stared back at Tabetha. She had only seen the brunette as cold and calculating. Everything she did was precise and deliberate based on the facts, but now she was speaking to Crystal with emotion that she had never seen before. Her grey eyes were filled with a startling cocktail of desperation and fear.

Maybe she would regret it later if Felicia's intentions turned out to be right, but that didn't stop Crystal from saying "Yes."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recently, on dA and quotev, I posted a full, thorough explanation of the fem!Youtube AU. It may conflict with certain parts of AOG+ and I apologize for that in advance. When I first began AOG+, I didn’t have a concrete backstory and I never planned for this AU to branch out. I will try to go back in the earlier chapters and make appropriate edits to fix this. Sorry for the inconvenience, guys.

"Haha! Top of the mornin' to ya, lassies!"

Felicia had to blink a great number of times to further accept what she was seeing.

Sitting at the cafeteria table beside her lieutenants was Jamie, completely suited in the Youtube soldier attire instead of her battle outfit from the night prior.

The others around Felicia were too busy greeting their new teammate to notice the blonde's stunned expression.

"Didn't think I'd get to see these two here," mentioned the petite brunette as she regarded Ariana and Marceline "Especially as lieutenants."

"Honey, was that a read?" Marceline smirked.

"Marcy, you remember how frail you were as a little girl," Jamie replied "You would hardly say two words to anybody."

Felicia's eyebrows bounced in surprise. She was astonished to see a girl like Jamie simply walk in and speak to the tougher of the two lieutenants so casually. Even though her last statement proved that she had known her in the past, the idea of addressing Marceline so lightly still seemed unfathomable to the blonde.

"Oh, are you in for a surprise then, Jamie," mused Ariana as she smoothly placed her arm around Marceline's shoulders "You're looking at a one-woman army right here."

The curl of a smile peaked above the Asian's teacup.

"I'll believe it when I see it," scoffed Jamie with a tip of her cap.

As the three continued their own conversation, Mario stole away Felicia's spot as their audience member "Have you seen Crystal and Tabetha?" he asked her.

"Hm?" It was at that moment that Felicia became aware of their absence. She squinted suspiciously towards the door they should have gone through " _Dammit_ ," she thought, bitterly.

"Felicia?" Mario said after not receiving a proper answer from the blonde.

Felicia shook her head with a shrug "Crystal went to go wake up Tabetha," That's all she would allow Mario to know.

"It must be taking a while for her to wake up," concluded Mario as he leaned into his palm. He then murmured quietly "Lets hope the lieutenants don't notice," pointing his gaze to the two higher-ups still conversing with the new Irish recruit.

* * *

There were two types of training in Youtube: field training and strength training. Field training was a more direct approach that allowed the soldiers to practice their skills in the actual battle field. Outside, there was a reserved circle of forestry exclusively for the Youtube military. Every single tree had dozens of marks where the 4D Maneuver Gear had punctured the bark. Worn and tired targets clung to the thick tree trunks as they awaited the impact of a bullet. This is why field training was so much more popular among the soldiers.

"So why would I want to use my training time in the _indoor_ gym?"

Felicia asked this with mild disgust around the word "indoor". Despite already being dressed in her baggy gym pants and blue tank top, the blonde wasn't too enthusiastic to be dragged into such a mundane experience.

"Hey," the petite brunette before her said, still only halfway dressed "You said you wanted to ask me some questions. I'm not gonna skip out on training just for you."

It was hard for Felicia to take Jamie seriously when the shorter woman was still in her panties. Even though this was to be expected of a locker room, the blonde still refused to look directly at Jamie, especially when the remaining other female soldiers had just left the changing room.

Felicia looked around herself after taking notice of that last detail "Was that the last girl?" she whispered.

Not paying attention, Jamie hummed a "Huh?" as she casually pulled on her shorts "Maybe."

That was good enough for Felicia "Alright," she said "So what's with the sudden change of heart? Why are you in Youtube now?"

The brunette frowned "So I can get back at this "Tabitha" you were talking about," she hissed through clenched teeth "The chick has no right to be impersonating me and pulling me into all this trouble."

Felicia was taken aback by the hostility in the petite woman. The matter had clearly angered her more than she had accounted for. It was becoming more and more clear to Felicia that Jamie was either one of two moods: thrilled or outraged. Her emotions were raw and real, much like Felicia's.

Jamie's gunmetal eyes then softened. "Also…I thought about what you said," she said "Even if winning Bullet Royale is that important, I should still be here for the soldiers that did sign in."

Felicia furrowed her brows, taking in Jamie's words "Bullet Royale isn't a game you can finish," she said "You just win matches against other people and that's it."

Jamie frowned at the taller woman, looking as though she had just been slapped across the face "You can win the game, _completely_ ," the brunette confirmed "It's just a secret."

"Like a cheat?"

"Exactly."

Felicia gave an amused hum at this new fact, though, she really wasn't all that impressed. Even though she was the type of person who preferred to go outside rather than stay indoors and play video games, Felicia wasn't ignorant to the fact that many games had cheats. In wasn't uncommon in the slightest and she was sure a popular game like Bullet Royale was even more likely to have cheats.

"So what do you get when you win the game?" the blonde airily asked.

Again, Jamie gave Felicia a look as if she had just asked a very obvious question "A safe place away from the Pluses!"

* * *

"Why did your father want to win Bullet Royale so much?" Crystal asked.

The two were resting in the field after finishing up their practice. The other soldiers around them were riding out the last few seconds of their training period while others were already on the ground, taking off their 4D Maneuver Gear.

Crystal insisted on keeping the conversation in the privacy of Tabetha's room, but the brunette had insisted that they had already discussed the private matters of the subject.

"I haven't the slightest clue," Tabetha said, unscrewing the cap of her water thermos "My guess is that since he was such a passionate gamer, he just wanted to be able to finish his favorite game before he went into war."

Crystal chewed on those dry words as Tabetha took a few gulps of her water "I didn't know it was even possible to win Bullet Royale. I mean, _really_ win," she added.

"Well I'm assuming there's a cheat since you have to unlock a series of achievements in order to win. I'm only halfway finished with them all."

Tabetha was silent after that. Crystal didn't have anything to fill in the silence. Only the bell signaling the end of the training period followed by the bustling sounds of the remaining soldiers preparing to leave cushioned the tense atmosphere.

Finally, the two girls were the last people left outside. Tabetha seemed to have snapped out of whatever trance she was in when she realized this, and began to follow the rest of the soldiers.

The brunette was almost immediately halted by a very faint "Wait," and an apprehensive tug on her sleeve.

Tabetha turned around to face Crystal, who seemed to shrink a little under Tabetha's curious gaze. Nonetheless, the smaller woman cleared her throat "What you're doing isn't wrong," she said with uncertainty in her voice "It may be just a game to some people, but that's because they don't understand."

The taller woman parted her lips, but was unable to find any words. She could only look at Crystal in subtle interest as she continued to speak.

"Ninety percent of the soldiers here haven't been through what you've been through," Crystal then hesitated "So...so...don't think you're being selfish, okay?"

The last few words seemed to have exploded from the very depths of the petite woman's heart. Although her voice hadn't escalated in volume and her face wasn't contorted in anguish, the emotion was very prevalent. It touched Tabetha.

Crystal gasped a little as she was brought into a gentle hug "You understand," Tabetha's voice hushed against her ear "Finally...someone who understands…"

Just like Crystal, Tabetha's voice hadn't raised in volume, but the emotion was present. If anything, it was even more present than Crystal's statement.

Crystal wrapped her arms around Tabetha and tightened the hug.

* * *

"I can't believe you didn't know about this until now," commented Jamie as she watched Felicia doing her sit-ups. She was really supposed to be spotting the blonde, but couldn't keep herself from straying back to the topic the two had left in the locker room.

Felicia stopped to shush Jamie "Shh, you said talk about "it" wasn't allowed in Youtube. Keep your voice down."

The brunette nodded without opposition, having been told several times to lower her voice in the past "Sorry."

Felicia continued her sit-ups, an ungraceful silence forming between herself and Jamie. The two hadn't known each other long, but already, the few interactions they have shared were intense. Holding any form of small talk with someone she had exchanged pixelated bullets with was not on the agenda for Felicia.

"Fancy meeting you two here."

Felicia had pulled herself up one last time in response to the Southern lilt. She smiled at the sight of Kendall entering the gym. Her crystal blue eyes then widened when she took notice of the taller woman's attire.

A form-fitting black tank-top clung to Kendall's curvaceous torso. Kendall wasn't a skinny woman, but the incline of her waist between her pronounced hips gave her body an intense hour-glass figure. The red cups of her bra poked out from the neckline of her tank-top, shamelessly showing off her defined cleavage. Bright red leggings clung to the young woman's thick legs, fitting over her smooth curves like a second layer of skin.

Felicia almost didn't notice Marceline entering the gym soon after, even though the short woman's attire showed more skin.

Jamie blew a clean wolf-whistle as she took in the sight of Marceline "You really did buff up since I last saw you!"

Marceline chuckled softly, modesty teasing her features "Thank you," she said "I'm just glad training hasn't made me look masculine. Y'know how easily a little muscle can ruin a lady's figure."

"Pfft, you couldn't look masculine even if you took straight testosterone pills," Jamie unapologetically scoffed "I couldn't even imagine that if I tried, especially since you're the only woman I know who still wears accessories to the gym."

Felicia took note of the Irish woman's sardonic statement and took a second glance at Marceline.

She noticed that the pink ribbon that once held Marceline's hair in a bun was now tied around her petite neck. The raven black hair was now tied in a more modest bird-tail similar to Kendall.

"Why yes, Jamie, I did change my hair. Thank you for noticing," the Asian woman snarked "I got the idea from Kendall."

The woman in question nodded with a smile, but Felicia could see past it. The way Kendall's cocoa brown eyes uneasily tore away from the others showed that she didn't want anyone to see past her facade. The brunette wasn't very happy about Marceline's seemingly harmless statement, for what reason, Felicia hadn't a clue.

* * *

"I mean, it's pretty dumb if you ask me."

"Uh, sure…"

"Why call it 4D Maneuver Gear? It's impossible to move in on a fourth dimensional plane! To say that you are literally means that you're traveling through space and time."

"Mm-hm."

"Calling it 3D Maneuver Gear would have been just fine."

"But Lieutenant Ariana, that's what they were called back when the Viruses were attacking. After the company that made them cancelled their contract with us, they said we couldn't use that name anymore."

The British woman raised a honey colored brow at the male soldier "And somehow calling this new device "4D" makes everything better?"

The other shrugged "Business is a very...uhm...tricky thing."

Ariana sighed and stretched "It sure isn't as simple and practical as science is," she said, unaware of the admiration in the boy's eyes as he watched the lieutenant's body extend in a new angle "So, what is it that you wanted to tell me, Steven?"

The boy snapped to attention at the sound of the British woman's voice "Oh, yes! It's about your request."

He briefly looked over his shoulder to make sure there weren't any wandering ears stepping into their conversation. Even so, Ariana leaned in to let the boy whisper his statement into her ear.

The immediate reaction was the British lieutenant leaping into the air with a delighted cheer, causing all of the heads in the training field to turn her way.

Steven stumbled back from the sudden outburst, watching his superior in a confused daze and feeling the many pairs of eyes stare his way.

Ariana lifted Steven up from the ground and spun him around once, laughing giddily "Thank you so much, Steven! You're definitely getting a reward for this!"

The soldier couldn't even form a proper " _You're welcome_ " or comprehend just why he was being thanked for delivering a message he had no part in. After Ariana let the poor boy go, he could only grip the tree beside him as nausea swirled his vision and the woman galloped in a direction he couldn't pinpoint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Steven is an original character who basically acts as the “Moblit” to Ariana’s “Hanji”.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As the story progresses, I’m sure a lot of you will start to see how this story is actually an allegory for things like Youtube that get ruined by big corporations and how cruel the business world is in general. I know it wasn’t very clear, but the scene in which Ariana was talking about the name change of the 3D/4D Maneuver Gear is actually a direct reference to the copyright issues and the ridiculous measures people have to go to to avoid it.

The engines of a dozen motorbikes buzzed together in harmony. The crisp, chilly air from their exhaust pipes scratched at the skin of the soldiers. Together, they all watched from their vehicles as a seam grew on the purple Net before them. The heavy crunching of pixels gliding across one another filled their ears as the Net slowly opened.

* * *

"An expedition…?!" gasped Elric.

Calvin was already prepared with bags of supplies in each hand as he smiled at the Chief sitting in his desk.

"Are you crazy? We've never conducted an expedition before! There's never been any reason to!" Elric ranted at the calm-faced man.

"Exactly why I'm accompanying the lieutenants," said Calvin.

Elric opened his mouth to speak again, but then grimaced as he latched onto the last word in the commander's sentence "Which lieutenants?" he grumbled, instead.

Calvin winked "I think you know who."

* * *

Ariana's brown eyes seemed to pool over in wonder as the Net opened up.

Jamie took notice of this and nudged Crystal "I haven't seen Ari this excited since her favorite manga became an anime."

The dark-haired girl chuckled.

* * *

Elric grunted "You can't always let those girls get their way, Commander."

"I don't see what's wrong with this decision," simply stated Calvin "It's completely ethical."

Elric all but exploded "Ethical? We're talking about capturing a Plus!"

* * *

Crystal turned to Tabetha "Heh, I don't know about you, but I'm a little nervous about this."

Tabetha gave her a shrug "Oh, there's nothing to worry about. In fact, it's a great thing," the brunette gave Crystal a smile as she said this "To think we'll finally be able to do some actual research on a Plus. It's evolutionary. It's positively genius!"

Crystal was a little surprised by this reaction. Although she has only been in Youtube for little over two weeks, she took Tabetha to be a very analytical girl. Emotions rarely guided her actions. Yet, she seemed very passionate about the mission ahead of them.

* * *

"What good will come from capturing a Plus, Commander? Enlighten me," quipped Elric.

"Easy," said Calvin "We'll be able to better our defenses by doing research on them instead of just mindlessly sitting back and waiting for them to attack."

That answer only seemed to further agitate the champaign-haired Chief "That's your reasoning?" he scoffed "You're going to risk the lives of an entire squad just so that you _might_ be able to capture a Plus so that you _might_ find a weakness? Are you out of your damned mind-"

Elric gulped when Calvin took a step closer to him, the air around him suddenly tense and dangerous. Elric's once heated gaze now trembled as he stared into Calvin's cold stare.

"We risk our lives everyday simply living here," Calvin stated "If we do not take a chance when it is presented to us, we may as well prepare our graves now."

* * *

"Soldiers, follow our lead!" Marceline's order was followed by a synchronized "Yes, ma'am!" from the youths behind her.

She and Ariana drove out of the Net's opening, the other motorbikes following suit in an organized wave.

* * *

" _We have pinpointed the approximate location from which the Pluses come from, and set our mission on that course. We have equipped the soldiers with headsets embedded in their helmets so that the lieutenants and I can communicate with them instantly. This mission is extremely dangerous, for we have never gone this far outside of the Net. No one ever has. We have brought along Lieutenant Ariana's Cloud to safely transfer the Plus into the dungeon for experimentation. If all goes well, we will have obtained one Plus and suffer only a few casualties to our squad._ "

* * *

Felicia couldn't help but look on in amazement.

All her life, her vision has been limited to the confines of the Net surrounding her world. Now she had ventured beyond the barrier and damn, was it ever beautiful. The blue skies above her were no longer concealed by the thin layer a fluttering pixels from the Net's energy. Instead, the sky felt as though it were only meters away. The blonde swore that she could taste the fresh air on the back of her tongue with every breath she took. Felicia never knew that this was what she had been missing.

"You still with us, Feli?"

Kendall's voice broke the blonde out of her haze. Felicia cleared her throat "Yeah," she said, nonchalantly.

Kendall saw right through the facade "It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked.

Felicia looked at the brunette to see that she was smiling "It really is," she agreed.

Suddenly, the soldiers caught a signal on their headsets " _Be on the lookout, everyone_ ," Marceline's voice buzzed " _We're approaching the Plus territory_."

Felicia's blue eyes looked about her upon hearing this. They had been driving in an untouched, grassy plain for a long time now. There wasn't even a single tree or bush to conceal anything over the horizon. If a Plus was coming towards them, they would have been damned to have missed it.

The soldiers kept an eye out for the dreaded giants. The air was tight with tension, vibrating with the hum of the engines.

Out of all of the soldiers, Crystal ended up being positioned farther towards the back. The lack of a presence behind her gave her the false sense that there actually was, forcing the petite girl to glance wearily at her rearview mirror more often than she should have. At some point, her eyes lingered on the mirror for too long and a large boulder stood in her pathway the next moment she looked up. A squeal escaped her as she violently veered away, just barely missing the obstacle.

"Look alive, Crystal!" chided one of the male soldiers the woman almost crashed into.

Shaken, Crystal straightened herself out and squeaked out an apology " _I've got to get myself together_ ," she mentally scolded herself " _I'm getting worked up over nothing._ "

The dark-haired woman steeled herself, forcing her eyesight forward and ignoring her fear of what was behind her back. Even when she saw a small figure appear in her mirror, she tried her best disregard her deceiving paranoia.

From her peripheral vision, Crystal noticed that the figure appeared and disappeared at random intervals. Despite her eyes sticking forward, her mind traveled to the reflecting image beside her.

At last, Crystal gave in and looked into her mirror, tired of the senseless fear it gave her. She was horrified by what looked back at her in the mirror.

Running with the prowess of a sprinter was a Plus. It was unmistakably chasing after her and the other soldiers. The speed at which it was advancing was the most frightening thing.

Crystal's lips parted to contact the other soldiers through her headset, but the pounding of the Plus' footsteps alerted everyone before she could even utter a single syllable.

Panicked, the petite woman looked back. She caught a glimpse of a dark rose color before the beast leaped right over her. Before anyone knew it, the Plus landed right in the middle of the cluster of soldiers.

Immediately, the soldiers all scattered in different directions. The shockwave from the impact sent the other soldiers who didn't react in time flying.

" _Everyone, stay together! Don't separat—ah!_ " Marceline's voice through the headsets struggled to hold authority as she shook around. Her grunt at the end only acted as further proof that she was in no better position than the others.

Regardless, none of the soldiers had listened to their lieutenant's command. The panic of having a Plus attempted to stomp them like ants overrode their natural respect to authority.

As long, magenta limbs swatted in an attempt to crush the soldiers, all of the motorbikes blasted off into different directions.

Marceline swore under her breath "Dammit, they're all scattering."

Ariana's voice clicked into Marceline's ear " _Where's Commander Calvin? Have you heard from him?_ "

"I don't know," replied Marceline, still driving forward to distance herself away from the Plus until further notice "Why hasn't he said anything?"

There was a short pause on Ariana's end " _Marceline, I need you to follow me,_ " she said " _I'm over to your left. I can see you. Can you see me?_ "

The raven-haired woman looked over, her dark eyes scanning the green landscape. She spotted Ariana slightly up ahead "Yes," Marceline replied "I'm heading your way. Have you been able to contact the other soldiers?"

" _I tried. They all went their separate ways already_."

Marceline sighed through her nose "Looks like it's just you and I."

* * *

Without their leaders, the squad lacked the guidance to take any affirmative action in regards to their situation. It was now up to everyone to simply think for themselves. For some, they had no problem taking matters into their own hands and abandoning their lieutenants.

"Fucking fuck! No! Goddammit, no! No!"

Jamie was not one of those people.

The Irish woman looked around with fear and anger in her gunmetal eyes, her teeth grit and bared. As if the magenta-colored Plus was not enough, a mob of normal Pluses were attracted to the panic of the soldiers. Jamie had entered a forest area in an effort to escape them, but she could still hear them on her trail, bumping into trees along the way.

"Jamie!"

Her gaze shot up at the sound of her name. She was shocked to see a fraction of her squad amongst the tree branches, the colors of their uniforms standing out amongst the bland brown branches and green leaves. Although they were too far up to see individually, Tabetha waved her arms in an attempt to capture Jamie's attention "Jamie! Up here!"

Without a second thought, Jamie ejected a laser into an upcoming tree branch and launched herself up into the air, leaving her motorbike to continue running without its master.

Jamie stumbled and faltered as she struggled to gain her footing on her new vertical ground. Once she did, she began to slowly scale the thick trunk of the tree, the other soldiers watching her.

"Here."

Jamie looked up to see Mario offering his hand to her. She noticed that he hadn't been on that branch before. He had definitely moved from his position to help her.

"Thanks, lad," Jamie huffed as she accepted the hand and climbed onto the branch. The lasers retracted back into her P.L.A.Y. button as she stood up. She was about to speak to the man again, but her breath caught in her throat once she turned around and caught sight of what was below her.

The Pluses that had been chasing her were clawing at the tree trunks, even though they were much too short and weak in comparison to the incredibly large and sturdy trees protecting the soldiers. Still, it acted as an example of just how narrowly Jamie escaped the beasts. If she was only a few seconds late…

"Fucking…!"

In contrast to the woman's tense curse, Mario calmly said "It seems that everyone went their own separate ways after that Plus attacked."

Jamie took her eyes off of the Pluses below them and looked amongst the tree branches. There were seven soldiers at the most up in the trees. The only one she recognized as a descendant was Tabetha.

"Have you seen the lieutenants?" Jamie asked Mario.

Mario shook his head.

"What about Crystal, Kendall, or Felicia? Have you seen any of them?"

Again, the man shook his head, his eyes more somber.

Over on Tabetha's branch, she stood alone and observed the Pluses beneath her "Hmm…" she squinted her blue eyes in an analyzing manner " _They're pressing their bodies close to the tree trunks while they claw at it. That way, we can't get to the plus signs on their chests_ ," she thought " _That's very smart. When did they learn this tactic?_ "

* * *

This Plus was nothing like anything Kendall had seen before.

One thing that stuck out to her was its size. It was at least two-thirds bigger than the other Pluses she had learned about and fought before. Another thing was its overall appearance. Smooth magenta skin shaped around the womanly curves like a leather suit. The skin didn't break for fingers, toes, ears, or even a mouth. Only white seams shaped around its limbs and joints. To add to the horror, this Plus had eyes, or, at least, white shapes where the eyes should have been. It made its entire face look much like a superhero's mask.

"Where are the lieutenants?!" Crystal was driving just beside Kendall, the two being pursued by the same beast.

"I don't know!" Kendall shouted over the sound of the Plus' pounding footsteps "I haven't heard anything from them!"

There were other soldiers driving along with them. They had all found each other and decided to progress as a single unit, picking up any other fellow soldiers they may stumble upon. However, along the way, the Plus that had initially separated them had returned.

Crystal grimaced, shaking her head "Everyone!" she called out "We have to separate!"

"What?!" cried out Kendall "We just found each other!"

The other soldiers gave similar arguments, all filled with fear and apprehension.

"We don't have a choice!" argued Crystal "We can't keep going like this!"

The brunette looked back at the Plus and screwed her eyes shut in anguish "I trust you!" were her last resigning words before she departed from Crystal and the soldiers dispersed once again.

The dark-haired woman smiled as she swerved " _Perfect, now the Plus can't choose between all of us. It'll have to stop_ ," but when she looked back, she realized that she couldn't be any more wrong.

Rather than choosing to let all of the prey go, the Plus had chased right after Kendall.

Crystal stopped, utterly horrified "No…" she turned around and darted after the Plus "Kendall!"

The brunette was well aware of the predator chasing after her, and she was anything but satisfied with the situation. Kendall suppressed her panic to continue forward and think of a way to escape her chaser. She weaved around tight spaces in trees. This slowed down the Plus due to its size, but it progressively adapted and pushed away from the trees with growing aggression.

" _Goddamn!_ " Kendall thought " _I've never seen a Plus so hellbent on getting someone!_ "

The cracks of two bullets pierced through the air.

Crystal had fired two shots at the back of the Plus as she chased after it. However, the beast didn't falter in the slightest. It continued running as if nothing had even happened.

"W-What…?" It took Crystal a few seconds to realize that her shots had not punctured the skin of the Plus at all. Covering the back of the entire body was a thin sheen of crystal " _It wasn't there before, was it?_ " she thought.

She shot off a few more bullets in an attempt to break through the crystal, but they didn't even leave a single scratch or indent.

" _How?_ " Crystal looked down at her gun, her only form of defense against Pluses " _Why is this happening?_ "

Suddenly, the Plus pounced on Kendall. The bike caught under its finger, sending Kendall roughly tumbling across the ground. Her limp body crashed against a tree trunk with a grunt of pain.

The Plus continued, however, tossing the bike over its shoulder in disregard and chasing after the fallen woman with even more vigor than before.

Crystal stopped, paralyzed in fear and disbelief at what she had just witnessed. What could she do? How could she help? Time seemed to go in slow motion as she tried to assess the situation.

"Aghh!"

Kendall's body was swiped away a mere second before the Plus could attack, its giant hands crashing into the thick tree trunk.

Felicia swung to safety with one hand on the base of her laser while she held Kendall with the other. Once the blonde made it to a safe spot far away from the Plus, she settled down on the grass.

"Kendall," she said, holding the woman's half-conscious body "Kendall, are you alright?"

The brunette muttered as her eyelids struggled to open all the way.

Felicia gave a tired smile, relieved to see the woman was still alive "It's gonna be okay, Kendall. Just hang in there."

Enwrapped in the warmth of the brunette's body in her arms, Felicia didn't notice the creeping footsteps behind her. It was only when they began to get unusually large in size that turned around.

Just behind her was a Plus crawling on all fours. It looked exactly like the magenta Plus she had just escaped before, but its skin was a hot pink.

The ground jumped in front of her, forcing Felicia to whip her head back around. The magenta Plus was crouched before her again.

She was completely surrounded as the two rose-colored beasts stalked around her like a pack of wild dogs. Her first instinct was to clutch Kendall's body even closer to hers. When she did, the Pluses seemed to hesitate and slow down. Eventually, they stopped circling her altogether. They only stared at her as she held onto the limp woman. Felicia didn't know what to think of it. They were so docile, so still…

Suddenly, an explosion of pixels disrupted the peace.

The pink Plus brought her hand to the hole in its torso.

Another bullet tore off a fraction of the magenta Plus' head, causing it to waver.

Marceline swerved into the scene on her motor bike "Get on," she simply commanded "Hurry."

Felicia jumped to her feet, Kendall still in her arms, and ran onto Marceline's bike. The two struggled to make the proper accommodations for the buxom woman, but drove away regardless.

As they escaped, Felicia looked back and stole one last glance of the pink Pluses' slumped figures.

The magenta Plus slumped forward as pixels fell freely from the remainder of its head. The pink Plus held onto the wound in its abdomen as pixels spilled through its fingers like blood. A large stream of fluid slid down the pink Plus' cheek.

A tear.

It was a tear.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To get a better idea of what the Rose Pluses look like, imagine a pink and magenta Spiderman. Not the best description, I know, but I feel like everyone can imagine it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a busy (but fun) few weeks of finals testing, AP testing, prom, and graduation, I am happy to say that I am back to writing! And with my return, I have also created a new blog that will promote ALL of my stories (including the fem!tube AU): princejacque. Here, you will not only get updates of my stories, but also character trivia, teasers, writing/drawing tips, and memes of my stories (I'm sorry, but I just love memes too much). Thank you all for your patience and support!  
> On a more serious and, unfortunately, somber note, I was recently informed of the Tobuscus scandal. I am making no claims on whether or not I believe it, and I ask that you please not discuss it in the comments because the issue deeply upsets me. In regards to how this impacts AOG+, I am choosing to keep Tabetha in, regardless. Because she is an OC, her actions don't mirror Toby's and she is her own separate person, and honestly, I think she's one of my favorite female OCs. Once again, I'm not making any claims on the issue or condoning any wrong-doing that anyone has done. I would very much prefer not to discuss/hear about it because of how much it upsets me and also other people. Thank you all very much.

The two lieutenants stood stiffly in the office. Four male soldiers stood behind the lieutenants, keeping the females in their spots.

A panel of men in black uniforms with accents of red, blue, green, and yellow sat down before them. The sunlight from the windows behind them casted dangerous shadows on their stern faces. Even though they were all different in facial features and age, they all shared one characteristic: silver hair. The tones of silver varied from a tired grey to a pure white, and they were all styled in some unique way.

The man in the middle of the panel spoke "Abandonment of your squad, unnecessary endangerment of soldiers, unnecessary waste of resources." He adjusted his glasses "Would you two ladies mind telling me the "detrimental goal" that required such desperate measures to be taken?"

Ariana gave a salute "S-Sir, we were trying to capture a Plus to perform research on…so as to improve our battle techniques."

"And did you succeed in that goal?" asked the man in his bland voice.

"No, sir."

"Did you even exterminate a Plus while on your mission?"

"…I don't know, sir," answered Ariana "Maybe one of our soldiers did after we were divided."

The frown embedded in the man's wrinkled face seemed more present as he released a sigh through his nose and looked down in what could only be called disappointment.

Another man at the panel spoke up "Do you know how many casualties there were?" he asked in a bold, louder voice.

Ariana answered "Se-Seventeen…sir."

"Correct," answered the man "Were you aware that one of them was Commander Calvin?"

Ariana gasped, staring at the man with her jaw loose.

"I'm asking if you were aware, Miss Ariana."

The Brit swallowed thickly, "No, sir," she admitted in a breathy voice "I wasn't aware."

"And do you know how many deaths there were?" the same man then went on to ask, as if his previous question had no impact on Ariana.

"…Ten, sir."

"Look me in the eyes when you speak to your higher-ups."

Ariana lifted her gaze, painfully struggling to choke out the words "Ten…sir…"

Marceline suddenly cleared her throat "Ariana isn't the only lieutenant available for questioning," she stated, matter-of-factly "I am here, as well."

Her statement earned a potent wave of dissatisfaction from the men at the panel.

The first response was an immediate open hand on the table "Such disrespect from a woman who dares carry the title of lieutenant…!" a bespectacled man growled.

The older man in the middle said "We will choose who to ask what, Miss Marceline," in a contrastingly passive demeanor.

Still in a professional tone, Marceline answered "Understood, sir."

The compliance seemed to anger the bespectacled man even more, as he grit his teeth and retracted his hand from the table.

"Miss Ariana, as the creator of…P.L.A.Y…, you will take responsibility for the failure of the headsets," continued the older man "The two of you, as the ones responsible for the expedition, will be resigned of your positions as lieutenants and jailed."

Marceline closed her eyes, the rest of her face still calm.

Ariana's hand went to her mouth, as though she would vomit.

Regardless, the two complied to remove their jackets when a pair of arms opened out to them. They also complied when their own arms were pulled behind their backs and linked by a pair of handcuffs.

* * *

"As of the resignation of Ariana and Marceline's titles as lieutenants, you, their soldiers, shall be placed under new authority," Chief Elric stated as he read the message on the tablet in his hand.

The soldiers stood before him, all with blatant looks of unhappiness and disappointment. Tabetha shook her head in disapproval. Kendall's gaze stayed low to avoid the reality before her. Crystal, on the other hand, was unable to look away, petrified by the scene. Felicia and Jamie both frowned angrily, the latter openly barring her clenched teeth like an angered tiger. Mario kept his stoic demeanor, regardless.

"Siana, you will be assigned to Lieutenant Darwin's squad. Felicia and Tabetha, you will both be placed under Lieutenant Nicholas. Crystal, you will be placed in Lieutenant Edward's squad. And Mario and Kendall, you two are now in Lieutenant Robert's squad," the large man then said "You are to meet with your squads and report to your new lieutenants, and I don't want to hear any protests about it. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir!"

A stressed glare pressed on the Chief's brown eyes for a brief moment after the soldiers gave their united compliance "Good. You are dismissed."

* * *

Felicia and Tabetha walked in strained silence, side by side, unwilling to make eye contact with the other. The only time they had acknowledged one another's presence was when Felicia began to turn down one hallway and Tabetha reached out and gently tapped the blonde's shoulder with two fingers "It's this way," the brunette had said as she nodded in another direction. Felicia had only responded with an "Oh, right."

The two females came across a door with a silver plaque that read " _Lt. Nicholas' Office_ ". Felicia's sky blue eyes darkened in a somber realization upon seeing the plaque. The reason she almost went down the other hallway is because that was where a door reading " _Lt. Ariana & Lt. Marceline's Office_" resided.

Tabetha knocked and almost immediately, it was opened for her. At the door was a tall, almost lanky man with small speckles of grey hair in his brunette undercut.

He grinned a cheesy grin "Ah, just who I was looking for! You must be Tiffany and Francine!" he greeted.

Both girls gave their own look of horror and discomfort.

"You mean…Felicia?"

"And Tabetha?"

The man looked down at his tablet for a moment in a studious fashion, then returned back to his silly grin "Oh right, right, my mistake! Hmm, Tabitha, it seems that they spelled your name wrong. It's spelled T-A-B-E-"

"That's correct," the brunette interjected "I have a unique spelling to my name."

The man stared in confusion for a moment, but quickly shook it off "Well, in case you haven't been told, I am Lieutenant Nicholas Schwartz," he spoke as he shook the girls' hands "Since I just finished role call, why don't you get to know your new comrades?"

Felicia held back a grimace " _I don't know which would make me more uncomfortable: trying to make new friends with these guys, or opting to talk to Tabetha._ "

Nicholas glanced at his tablet in surprise when he noticed the time, and stepped aside to let his soldiers out of the office "I'll be down in the cafeteria in a moment," he called out as they walked away.

The soldiers replied with a "Yes, sir," or "Okay, sir," as the man retreated into his office.

Felicia and Tabetha tried to position themselves amongst the conversing soldiers. Tabetha had more ease finding a spot to walk where she wouldn't catch too much attention. Felicia, however, was immediately noticed.

"Hey," addressed a black girl "Are you two the soldiers from…that squad?" she asked.

"What squad?" asked Felicia.

This time, one of the male soldiers spoke up "The one with the lieutenants that planned that crazy expedition."

Felicia bit her lip as she held back fiery words.

"If you are referring to lieutenants Marceline and Ariana, then yes," answered Tabetha, a slightly jaded tone behind her words.

A shorter female with a notable Valley Girl accent jumped on the conversation "No way! What was it like working for them? Were they always, like, crooked cops?"

"Crooked cops?!" Felicia spat in a harshly offended tone.

Tabetha swiftly took hold of the blonde's shoulder and defended "It is inaccurate to call them corrupt in any manner," she sternly told the Valley Girl.

"Tch, after they tried to kill their own soldiers?" questioned an Asian boy "How can you even say that?"

Once again, the black girl put her hands out "Y'all, quit pestering them! They've been through a lot, okay?" she scolded "Look, they're new teammates and you should make them feel welcome."

* * *

At breakfast, Felicia and Tabetha got the chance to get to know their teammates better. The black girl with the short, curly hair was Ashanti. She was pretty much the ace of the group and also very friendly. The blonde with the Valley Girl accent was Haley. Like Ashanti, she was sociable, but she would casually make insensitive remarks without being aware and one of her teammates would call her out. Ryou was the Asian boy with glasses. He was very thoughtful and witty, yet easily flustered. The freckled boy's name was Marco. He didn't display any noticeable tics or flaws like the others, but his practical optimism made it clear to Felicia and Tabetha that everyone on the squad had a mutual appreciation for him.

Towards the end of breakfast, Felicia stood up to throw away her scraps. At that moment, a familiar "click" halted the activity within the cafeteria. In response, everyone looked up at the multiple screens materializing along the walls. As usual, the face of Chief Elric appeared on the screens. Being closer to the wall, where the trashcans were, Felicia noticed a concerning detail.

The man's strong features lacked in their stern resilience. His copper skin was faded out into a wet sand color. His eyes were unfocused, as if he didn't want to look at the camera.

"All soldiers, report to the B5 field," he said "All soldiers, you must report to the B5 field."

Without even a proper closing statement, the screens shut off and disappeared. The soldiers in the cafeteria threw away their trash and hurried to fit in a few more bites of food before leaving. Felicia, however, stood still.

"Over here, Felicia!" called out Marco when he noticed that the blonde hadn't moved.

Felicia looked over at her new teammates as they were walking out, Marco and Ashanti hesitating to make sure she didn't fall behind. Even though Felicia followed, her mind was hazy, as if she were having a realistic dream.

Her blue eyes gazed upon the many soldiers walking down the corridor " _There's nothing unusual happening,_ " she thought " _So why do I feel that there's something wrong?_ "

Felicia's arm was gently tugged. Only when she met the suspicious face of Tabetha looking off to the side did Felicia snap out of her stupor. The brunette subtly crooked her finger in a beckoning motion and Felicia leaned in.

"Don't you remember what Chief Elric said on the first day?" Tabetha whispered.

Felicia's face scrunched up in bewilderment "What?" she instantly replied.

"He told us he wasn't one to repeat."

The blonde began to lightly shake her head as she mouthed " _What are you talking…?_ " But her voice didn't fold into those words. Instead, her bottom lip hung as her blue eyes halted. The meal in Felicia's stomach suddenly dropped to her knees.

Tabetha continued "You are not the only one who thinks something peculiar is happening," she said "I advise that we stay on our guard."

Just as the brunette said that, they had exited the building. The intense wind from the air pressure of the door sliding open greeted them.

Like a herd of cattle, the soldiers migrated in a single direction across the aged grass in order to get to the B5 field. Even with the casual conversations amongst the soldiers as they walked, Felicia couldn't shake away her nervousness.

Finally, they coalesced with a pack of other soldiers. No, it was two packs of soldiers, each one lining a concrete walkway like passerby watching a parade. What they were watching, most didn't know.

The friendly conversations lowered into hushed whispers.

"…'s going on?"

"Didn't you hear…?"

"…getting jailed…"

"They're coming…"

Felicia squeezed her way past the soldiers, patiently trying to get close to the walkway without irritating them.

She looked up and down the walkway. One side ended in the headquarters building she had heard so much about. The other side ended in a large grey concrete building that looked extremely out of place amongst the blue and violet clean domes of the military base, itself.

As Felicia stared at the grim-looking building, crippling gasps echoed around her. The air suddenly became thin and unbreathable, but of course, Felicia had to turn around. Even though it was a ridiculous desire that went completely against her aggressive nature, Felicia wished she had just closed her eyes.

The heavy doors of the headquarters closed shut behind two figures wearing black and white clothes. Upon closer inspection, it was clear to see that the outfits were actually a humiliating version of prison jumpsuits. Rather than the baggy, full-body attire, the figures wore elbow-sleeved crop tops and capris that hung very low at the waist. Both of which were very form-fitting. The only thing indicating their purpose for prisoners was the unmistakable horizontal black and white stripes, handcuffs, and the four men holding them at their sides.

Felicia's eyes then widened when the figures got closer.

" _The…lieutenants_ …"

The soldiers whispered as Marceline and Ariana were walked down the walkway. The Brit looked down, not willing to face the merciless gossip of the soldiers around her. Her cheerful grin was replaced with an empty look of utter embarrassment and sorrow. The Asian beside her, however, refused to let her stoic presence falter. She continued to hold her head high and walk purposefully as if she were still wearing her lieutenant jacket.

"Fucking murderers…"

"They're getting exactly what they deserve…"

"Good. Lock 'em up."

"Look at her. She looks proud of herself."

"Some nerve…"

When the two females walked by, Felicia instinctively reached out her arm "Lieuten…" her voice cracked as she slowly recoiled her arm.

Ariana immediately looked up at the sound of the blonde's voice and looked back at her, slowing her step almost to a stop. The two locked eyes for a moment, completely ignoring their situation. It felt like years had passed as they looked into one another's eyes, having a wordless conversation.

"C'mon," one of the men growled as he gruffly pushed Ariana forward and broke the exchange without care.

The woman obeyed and continued walking without a second thought.

Felicia knew that soldiers were supposed to be strong. Soldiers were supposed to be resilient. In order to do what she did everyday, she had to sacrifice some of her sympathy and compassion. She couldn't afford to feel anything.

But in that moment, there was nothing stopping the tears that brimmed Felicia's eyes.

A hand landed on her shoulder. Felicia turned to see Tabetha once again. The blonde tried to deny the display of affection. However, the more she tried to ignore her, the worse it got. Before she knew it, she was sniffling and Tabetha was pulling her into a firm embrace.

The other soldiers stared, but both decided to ignore the reality.

* * *

Crystal sighed and looked out of the window into the sky. The evening was approaching and hours had passed since the display that morning, but she still couldn't get past it. No matter what, the scene replayed over and over in her mind. Each time, she noticed a new detail that made the entire situation even worse.

She glanced back at the soldiers in the room. Although they were her new teammates, Crystal held no interest in them supplanting her previous friends. If she was going to share her anxieties with anyone, it would be with the people who had welcomed her.

"Hey Crystal," as if the devil, himself, was playing a game of Irony, one of the squad members called out to the petite woman "Have you heard anything about them making a funeral for the soldiers who didn't make it through the expedition yesterday?"

Crystal raised a brow in confusion "A funeral?" she questioned.

The girl who asked her explained "Well, somewhat. They gather all of the soldiers' belongings and we all get together to pay our respects. That usually happens within twelves hours of the death, but…" the girl looked up at the clock, and Crystal followed her gaze.

8:00 P.M.

"I don't know," said Crystal "I was just recently signed in weeks ago."

The girl crossed her arms "Well I've been signed in for two years and this is the first time something like this has happened," she huffed "Here, they've always made sure to honor those who sacrificed themselves to the cause. But I haven't heard a single word about the funeral today."

Crystal's gaze scanned the floor, as if the answer she was looking for might lie there "I…I don't know. Maybe there was a budgeting problem?"

"We're the most funded establishment on Platinum Web! And it doesn't cost a time to say a few words for the deceased," the girl firmly stated "Look, I know you're new here, so you didn't get the chance to see what things were like beforehand, but YouTube used to be a lot more thoughtful and respectful."

"It was?"

"Yes!"

"What happened?"

The girl sighed, shaking her head as she stepped up to the very window Crystal was looking out of "No one has a clue."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haley, Ryou, and Ashanti are all original characters, but I put Marco Bodt in here as a Shout Out (and as lil' treat for y'all). How is he able to exist here, you may be asking? Reincarnation— it's a beautiful thing. :) And trust me, I plan on actually letting him live, unlike /someone/.  
> Also, two things:  
> -the scene where the soldiers watch Marceline and Ariana is a metaphor for all of the videos YouTube pushes to the forefront that expose and humiliate YouTubers.  
> -on the other hand, the scene where Crystal noticed that there wasn't a funeral service anymore for the dead soldiers is a metaphor for how little sympathy YouTube often has for users that aren't useful to them.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, the prisoners' outfits are a reference to the anime/manga Prison School.

Three weeks.

Felicia recalculated the number of days displayed on the calendar on the blue screen hanging from the wall, but it was still the same.

It had been three weeks since her squad had been divided. In those three weeks, she conversed, ate, and tackled Plus invasions with her new comrades. With each day she woke up, she gained more familiarity with them and lost some with her old squad. Much to the blonde's surprise, she didn't find herself distraught by the change. In fact, she could say that the time she spent with Lieutenant Nicholas' squad was one of the most pleasant experiences she has had.

" _I almost feel guilty for not missing Mario and the others_ ," Felicia thought to herself.

"Felicia," summoned Tabetha "How much time do we have left?"

The blonde jumped to attention, remembering what she had initially walked to the clock for and swiping the screen to display the time "Uh, three minutes."

Tabetha muttered an irritated "Rats…" as she hastily struggled with her hair. Felicia had noticed that Tabetha's hair was much thicker and less glossy than it had usually appeared when it was in braids.

When Felicia first came into Tabetha's room, fully dressed, the brunette was a bit irritated. She had always used her talisman to get dressed so she could fit in a few extra minutes of sleep. With Felicia there, she couldn't do that. Sure, she could have told the blonde no when she asked if it was alright to come inside, but Tabetha didn't want to worsen their relationship.

The brunette decided to put her thick hair into a ponytail and stepped away from her mirror "Okay, let's go."

The two women stepped out of Tabetha's room. The hallway was relatively empty as many soldiers were already in their Lieutenants' offices for their daily role call.

"You didn't have to wait for me," stated Tabetha "I wouldn't have wanted to make you late."

"Huh? Oh no, it's okay," said Felicia "I don't mind."

Before Tabetha could reply, a male soldier aggressively bumped into Felicia.

One look at the man's face told the blonde that he wasn't someone to excuse "Hey, watch yourself," she griped.

The man snorted "You've got your nerve. I'm sure you'd want to feed me to the Pluses, too."

The blonde could only raise a brow in confusion.

"I saw you weeping at the arrest of your lieutenants," accused the man as he pointed aggressively at Felicia "What kind of a soldier would actually sympathize with a pair of psycho bitches like them?"

In a split second, Felicia's blue eyes widened and iced over. The man gasped when she suddenly pounced forward, his face stricken with fear even when Tabetha had taken hold of the blonde.

"Felicia please!" begged the brunette "We cannot afford to cause any calamities. Not now!"

Felicia halted, not taking her eyes off of the man. Her angered breathing calmed down and she unclenched her fists. She put her hands where Tabetha's were gripping her waist. Once reassured that Felicia would not charge, the brunette released her. In that moment, Felicia turned to face Tabetha "Thanks," she whispered.

Tabetha gave a weak smile behind her rattled expression.

As the two women walked away, Felicia kept her head forward and did not turn back to look at the man.

* * *

Jamie tossed more soil onto the Orb that was cradled in the hole in the dirt. A grey cloak draped over her tiny body to conceal her identity. However, even the night's darkness couldn't hide her from the sights of the bespectacled woman's binoculars.

"Is Felicia getting rid of her Orb already?" asked Antonia, sitting on the bolder with her back towards the military base.

"It's not Felicia," said India, who was facing the military base directly "It's that new soldier. The Irish one."

Antonia turned around "Seriously? I thought she'd never leave Bullet Royale after what that nerd girl did."

"It looks like she finally stopped being a coward," said India "Though, it shows she's not that bright either since she's sacrificed a safe haven from the Pluses."

Antonia sighed as she stroked India's arm "None of these soldiers are as good as Felicia."

"That's because Felicia is perfect," India said in the same enchanted tone as she set down her binoculars "And it won't be long before we get to reunite with her."

Antonia smiled, looking back at the military base "We'll live happily together."

India nodded "We'll finally be happy…"

* * *

Even though the soldiers were now divided by their new lieutenants, they were quick to find one place in which they could meet: the locker room.

It wasn't always a definite, though. The women wouldn't always meet one another in the locker room every time training period would start. Crystal would meet Jamie and Felicia, but not Kendall. Kendall would meet Crystal and Felicia, but not Jamie. On days like this, Jamie would meet Felicia.

"You sure seem tired," commented the blonde after she removed her shirt "We haven't even started training yet."

The shorter woman groaned "I was busy last night. I had to take care of some very important business."

Felicia furrowed her brow "Like what?" she questioned.

The blonde didn't expect anything grand in regards to Jamie's response, so she was surprised when the Irish woman leaned in and whispered to her "I buried my Orb outside. It's in the A9 field under a large rock."

"What?" Felicia's eyes darted around to ensure none of the surrounding women were paying attention to their conversation "Why did you bury it?"

"You know outside technology isn't allowed in here, but I don't want them to confiscate it if they find it," explained Jamie "If things get desperate, I want us to have a place to run to."

Felicia knew exactly what the Irish woman was talking about.

Jamie's eyes went downcast for a moment in what can only be called discomfort "Crystal's noticed that things are getting weird around here, not just with the Marcy and Ari," she said "If I…If theytake me away for any reason, I want my friends to at least be able to escape."

Felicia's mouth hung in horror as she stared at the woman "Jamie…"

A sudden uproar of shrill screaming echoed in the front of the locker room. The commotion traveled across the room as three heavy footsteps cut through the rows of lockers. Felicia was still stuck on Jamie's words until a hand suddenly gripped her arm.

"Huh? Huh?!" Felicia's breath quickened as her hands were pulled behind her back and linked together by handcuffs. She could barely listen to the men's words as they spoke to her.

"Hey! What the fuck are you doing?! Let go of her!" shouted Jamie, only to be pushed back by another officer.

The officers began to take Felicia away, who was still deprived of her shirt, as she resisted against them and yelled. The other shaken, half-nude women around her only stared in horror.

Out in the hallway, Felicia gave up her struggle as other passing soldiers gawked at her figure. She panted from her exertion and proceeded to walk with the officers "Where are you taking me?" she asked.

The officers, having already given her that information as she struggled, gave their own mixtures of sighs and rolled eyes.

"We said we're taking you to the prison," answered the one on her left.

"What?!" Felicia practically shrieked "What did I do?!"

"You already know," growled the one on her right "That Gaming Orb in your room."

Felicia shuddered as guilt trickled up her spine. Suddenly, Jamie's words rushed to the forefront of her mind, the memory still fresh.

"Wait! You're only supposed to confiscate personal technology!" Felicia protested.

"First of all, don't tell us how to do our job!" scolded the officer to the left "And secondly, they've changed the rules. For extra safety precautions, anyone caught with a personal device will be arrested."

"What? Why?!"

The officer to the right chuckled darkly "Things've really tightened up since the scandal between those two lieutenants."

Felicia grit her teeth together, but did not speak.

She didn't speak as they brought her outside to the B5 field. She didn't speak when they brought her inside the dull building from which her lieutenants emerged from. She didn't speak when they left her in an empty office, only for a bored-looking man to enter.

He dropped a heap of black and white striped clothing into Felicia's hands "Alright, this'll make our lives a whole lot easier if you just do what I say," he said in a lackadaisical tone "You're going to undress—underwear, too—step into the X-ray machine, and put these on."

"Why do I have to take off everything before I go into the X-ray machine?" Felicia immediately asked.

The man rolled his eyes "So no one has to bother with a cavity search," he said in a more disgusted tone.

Felicia's heart sank, and suddenly she wasn't so unwilling to strip before the man. The comment still scared her. It just showed how serious her situation was. She was seen as a genuine threat and treated as a genuine criminal.

The blonde silently did as told and took off her remaining clothes. When she stepped into the cold X-ray machine, a red light flickered on the other side. She tensed as the man walked over to inspect the alarm.

"You're going to have to remove your hair tie and your necklace," he then said.

"Necklace?" Felicia's hand went to her golden fist emblem. Her heart iced over "B-But it's just a necklace. There's nothing dangerous about it."

The man gave an aggravated sigh "Please don't make this any harder than it needs to be."

"You don't understand!" Felicia protested "It means a lot to me! Why can't you just let me keep it?"

"Just give me your necklace and your hair tie," the man said in an almost whiny, defeated tone.

Felicia considered her options. Although the man wasn't intimidating in the slightest, it was clear that he wasn't going to budge. If she continued resisting, she was sure the man would just call someone in to make her cooperate.

She remembered Tabetha's words " _We cannot afford to cause any calamities! Not now!_ "

Felicia could hold up a fight, that was certain, but it wouldn't be the wisest choice to make considering the circumstance.

She would obey for now, and figure out the rest later.

Felicia gave the man her accessories and dressed in her prisoner's uniform. Like her lieutenants on that day, it was a pair of close-fitting capris and a crop top. Felicia hated the way her outfit showed the less-than-toned parts of her abdomen. She felt dumb for the petty insecurity.

"Here," a pair of flimsy sneakers not unlike water shoes tumbled Felicia's way. After she put them on, the man patted her back with an ill-fittingly chipper "Alright, let's go."

* * *

Tabetha hurried into her room and crouched to the floor beside her bed in a clumsy, hasty manner. She was finally able to buy some time away from her squad members, and she figured that this would be the best way to use it.

She opened the bottom drawer of her nightstand and pulled out her Clove tablet and a chip. The brunette's face was bathed in white as she turned on the tablet and inserted the chip.

She was met with a familiar screen.

" _You're one in a select few, but not an individual._

_You're specially made, but not unique._

_Your name holds a legacy, but not your future._

_Your face is iconic, but not one to call your own._

_And that's why you're here, Tabetha._ "

Below that was a block of text written by her father.

" _Tabetha, my time is very limi_ ** _T_** _ed. I can only ask of you to do one thing for me: complete Bullet Royale. I have figu_ ** _R_** _ed out only half of the process to accomplishing this, as I've written below. I'm sorry I wasn't able to find the rest. Whenever yo_ ** _U_** _'ve comple_ ** _T_** _ed one of the tasks, you'll get a gold coin. Keep it. Please, w_ ** _H_** _atever you do, finish that game._

_-Find the 12 diamonds. They'll be in different servers._

_-Beat the AI opponents from the tutorial. Some of them sneak into the normal servers._

_-Win a round without taking any damage points._

_Once you've completed all of the challenges, there will be a safe in the Apple server. The combination is 3209. There's a key inside. Use it on the door in the Monotone server. Trust me, it's there_."

Tabetha swiped the screen to her notepad where a checklist was typed out.

"Let's see, I've collected all of the diamonds, beaten all of the AI opponents…" Tabetha frowned "But I still haven't won a round without taking any damage…or figured out the rest of the achievements."

She swiped back to Toby's message and sighed "He had one request."

" _It may be just a game to some people, but that's because they don't understand_ ," Crystal's voice rang out in Tabetha's head " _So...so...don't think you're being selfish, okay?_ "

"He had one request," Tabetha repeated to herself "And I couldn't even do that."

She stared at the screen with tired, unblinking eyes, an overflow of emotions swimming behind them. The brunette had stared for so long, that the letters started to blur.

Only five letters remained clear to her: T-R-U-T-H.

Tabetha blinked, surprised.

"How did I not see this before?" she hushed.

The brunette reached out and touched the "T" in "limited", startled when she felt the tablet briefly vibrate in her hand. She proceeded to do the same with the other four letters, earning the same response from her device.

The four letters glowed purple as the remainder of the message vanished. The word "TRUTH" formed in the center of the screen. A new message was now displayed on the screen.

" _There is a secret society called the Incognito Tab where people are protected from the Viruses. If any new enemies were to arise in the future, I want you to be safe. Behind the door in the Monotone server will take you there, to the Incognito Tab. Only the wealthy have been able to buy their way into it, but so can those who win Bullet Royale. I don't want you to have to fight like I did. I want you to live a normal life. Please, save yourself, Tabetha_."

The woman's mouth hung open as she reread the words over and over again "He didn't want me to accomplish his goal. He wanted to protect me…"

Suddenly, the door slid open.

"Halt! You are under arrest!"

"H-Hey! What are you doing?! Put that down! You're going to break it! Help! Help!"

* * *

The walk was just as horrible as Felicia had anticipated.

The doors opened for her, revealing a thousand pairs of eyes all awaiting her arrival. She felt her body heat up in humiliation that blended in with the summer heat.

Then she started walking.

Her body felt stiff as she moved forward. Every step felt unnatural and broken. Felicia didn't know where to keep her eyes. She looked down at her feet. She looked forward at the entrance to the jail as it drew nearer. The gossiping faces of the soldiers would always lurk in the corners of her vision. She thanked the gods above that the sound of her heartbeat in her ears helped her block out their venomous words.

" _I know I passed Mario and the others at some point_ ," Felicia shook her head " _What must they be thinking right now? Did anyone tell them what I was arrested for? Oh god, are they ashamed of me for having an Orb?_ "

And then she looked up.

The prison doors were opened for her.

" _No, I'm not gonna worry myself and fret over side issues_ ," Felicia's face hardened " _I am a soldier, and soldiers don't live by doubts or insecurity._ "

She stepped inside.

" _I swear_ …"

The doors closed behind her.

" _I will escape this prison_."

* * *

Lunch was ending, and Lieutenant Robert's squad was casually conversing as they exited. Mario was just about to step out as well when he was stopped by the sound of a soft sob.

He looked back to see Kendall sitting down at the table. He noticed that she hadn't gotten any food and hadn't spoken more than a few words to her teammates. No one took note of the strange behavior. He wasn't surprised. Their new squad wasn't very welcoming towards them.

Mario walked back to their table and sat beside Kendall, whose face was in her hands.

"Is it about what we saw earlier?" he inquired.

The woman barely choked out an "Uh-huh…"

Mario left the table, and then came back with a stack of napkins "Here," he said.

When Kendall lifted her face to see what the male was referring to, Mario wiped away her tears for her.

"Thanks…" she said quietly as she took hold of the napkin and finished cleaning up her face "Mario, I-I'm so sorry. I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to Felicia and…"

"It's not your fault, Kendall," said the man "You did the best you could do and I'm grateful for that."

The woman looked back at Mario, surprised by the heartfelt statement.

"Crystal was right. Strange things are happening around here," he continued "What happened was out of your control. Don't blame yourself."

Kendall was silent as she took in Mario's words. Her body still trembled from the sobs still oppressed in her body. She took another napkin and wiped her nose.

"Kendall, I want to apologize for giving you the cold shoulder. I should have trusted you."

"It's okay, Mario. I understand that you just wanted to make sure no one hurt Felicia. It's…it's been a cruel world," said Kendall, having calmed down.

She sniffled, then said "Y'know Mario, I wish I could be as calm as you. You're handling this so well."

Mario did something that surprised Kendall. He chuckled.

"In all honesty, I'm not as calm as you think," said the young man "I'm terrified, not just for Felicia, but about everything that's going on here. All this uncertainty…it's really scary," He took a deep breath and twiddled his thumbs "You say you wish you were more like me, but I wish I was like Felicia. I wish I was brave like her," Mario bit his lip "Because even when she's afraid, she never backs down."

Kendall gave the male a reassuring smile "We all want to aspire for better, Mario," she said "That's a part of life: improving ourselves so we can succeed in the future."

Mario met Kendall's gaze and gave a smile of his own "You know, I'm glad Felicia got to meet you in the training camp."

"And I'm glad Felicia has you for a brother."

* * *

Felicia could remember exactly what the guard said when she entered the prison " _This cell is your home now. You'll notice that your cell isn't the stone cold room you've seen in other prisons. It's padded. Trust me, it's not because we want you to be comfy. Mentally insane patients are locked up in padded rooms to keep from smashing their heads against the walls. We wouldn't want you to get an early leave on your sentence by suicide. You're only gonna leave that cell for two reasons: One, so we can hose you down outside. And two, so you can use the outhouse. That's right, we actually give you the privilege of bathing you and letting you use the toilet instead of just giving you a bucket. Heh, it's more so for the guards' sake, though. We wouldn't want to have to endure the smell of piss, shit, and sweat all day and night. By the way, if your period starts in there, we'll give you seven tampons. We'll feed you three times a day. If you're feeling sick, lie on your bed and deal with it. See, aren't we such nice wardens to give you these luxuries?_ "

When she asked when she would be released, the man only laughed.

That was hours ago, but without any way to indicate the passing time, this fact was hidden from Felicia. The effects of boredom were already starting to wear on her. She began to feel irritation and hopelessness. The moment it hit Felicia, she snapped to attention.

" _I have to start brainstorming about how to escape_ ," she thought to herself " _I need to keep my mind occupied. So I might as well think of something proactive_."

However, before she could even start pondering her circumstances, a muffled ruckus from the entrance door broke her thoughts.

"Let me go, you insufferable brutes! Put me down this instant! Hey what are you doing—ahh!"

The familiar voice ended with a scream and the soft sound of a body hitting the plush floor of the cell beside Felicia's.

"Tabetha?" she questioned.

The other voice gasped "Felicia? Is that really you?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Me? What are _you_ doing in here?!"

The guard interrupted the females' conversation "Since you were both arrested for having a Gaming Orb in your rooms, we decided to put you two in neighboring cells. Now you ladies have something to talk about!"

Felicia frowned "An Orb?" Realization dawned on the blonde as her jaw dropped open in a silent scream "It _was_ you!" she growled "You were the Drive-By player!"

Tabetha's voice was panicked "F-Felicia, wait, I can explain—"

"You—You tried to kill me! You tried to kill that girl! You framed Jamie!"

"No, I didn't! I wasn't trying to kill anybody!"

"You have the nerve to actually join our squad! What? Were you figuring out ways to kill me in real life?!"

"No! It wasn't like that! Please, just let me explain!"

"I don't want to hear your excuses, Tabetha! You lied to me! You lied to everyone!"

"But Felicia—"

"But nothing!"

The only thing Felicia heard on the other side of her padded cell was a weak whimper.

The guard looked between the two cells and gave an amused grin "Wow, _catty_! Forget what I said about you girls having something to talk about," he sat down on his chair "Looks like watching after you two will be interesting."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said that a lot of things in this story are representative of the issues that businesses and companies face as popularity and demand rises, but please don't think I'm some angry hippy who wants to "fight The Man" or anything crazy like that. I just like to take mundane, everyday issues and make fantastic allegories for them. You can see that in The Tale or Hermaphrodite and even an inverse version in Five Years at Mike's.

"Tabetha."

The sound of the other woman shifting lifted to Felicia's ears "Yes?" Tabetha gasped.

"How long have we been in here?" questioned Felicia "I-I gotta know. I just…need something tangible here."

"My calculations may not be accurate, but I would say approximately seventeen days," answered Tabetha "I lose track a little bit every time I fall asleep. At first I was still conditioned to sleep for eight hours at night like we did in the military base, but then I started slipping. Now I'm…not so sure of myself anymore."

Felicia couldn't see the brunette, but she could tell by the weight of her words that she was wearing a tired and depressed expression. Her usually affirmative and professional voice was dropping into a frightened whisper.

Felicia looked over at the empty chair where the guard used to sit. Ever since the blonde started giving Tabetha the silent treatment, the guard lost interest in watching over the two.

When he first left, Felicia was worried "Hey, where are you going?"

"Don't worry, I'll come back to feed ya when they tell me to," remarked the man, still walking away "I don't need to be here all the time, y'know. It's not like you're goin' anywhere."

He kept to his word, and did come back to give the girls their food and ask if they needed to be escorted to the washroom. In a way, he acted as a clock and one of the many ways Tabetha was able to record time. She would count hours and minutes manually. From then on, she figured out that the guard fed them every five hours, not including the block of time that they would sleep at night.

She had also noticed that once every seven days, a group of footsteps would pass the wall of her cell outside. It was the same footsteps, and she would even occasionally hear voices. Tabetha assumed that they were fellow prisoners getting bathed since she and Felicia were taken outside and hosed down on the seventh and fourteenth days of their imprisonment. She made sure not to confuse the days so she would have a solid idea of when a week has passed by.

The tell tale sounds of footsteps and whistling leaked into the women's cells.

The guard casually walked in with a tray holding two identical plates of food: a styrofoam cup of thick, steaming soup next to a thick bread roll and a plastic spoon. In his other hand, he held two bottles of water by the neck.

Still whistling, he opened the hatch in Felicia's cell and set the plate on the floor.

The blonde grimaced and gave a moan of disgust. After eating the same meal for over two weeks, her stomach would churn just at the mere sight of the soup. Though, she knew she couldn't complain. It was the one thing keeping her alive. It had a healthy serving of meats and vegetables inside, so it wasn't just empty calories.

"Hey guard," the blonde spat in irritation "Who else did you lock up for no good reason?"

The man seemed satisfied by the woman's displeasure "Aside from those two lieutenants, it's just you ladies," he said "If ya ask me, we shoulda locked up all you broads from the Survey Corps."

"Why?! We did nothing wrong! You're targeting us for no reason!"

Felicia couldn't see it due to the plush wall before her, but halfway through her rant, the guard moved to Tabetha's cell to give her her food.

The blonde punched the wall beside her in anger as the guard left. She looked down at her meal " _I'd better eat it now_ ," she thought " _Because I sure as hell won't eat it later when it gets cold._ "

* * *

Soldiers flit through the air between the large trees like ninjas. The sounds of targets being struck and soldiers shouting encouraging words at one another echoed through the field. Among one of them was Mario.

He halted on a tree branch when he noticed that his teammate was no longer in the trees with him. He looked around for anything suspicious, and finally caught sight of the buxom brunette down below.

Mario leaped down to the ground where he saw Kendall had stopped.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Kendall turned around with a smile "Looks like the gang's all here."

Before her stood Jamie and Crystal, who Mario hadn't noticed before.

"Perfect timing!" cheered Jamie "I've been meaning to meet you guys, lately," she then cleared her throat briefly to give her voice a more serious tone "We gotta talk about all the weird things that have been happening."

Kendall looked up at the trees where every soldier was preoccupied "Well, now's a better time than ever."

"First of all, these arrests. They arrested Tabs and Feli for having Orbs in their rooms!" raged Jamie "You don't get arrested for having personal technology. It just gets taken away."

Kendall worriedly moved her hair fringe from her face "Well, it's clear that they're fishing for reasons to arrest us," she said "I mean, throwing half of the descendants in jail and then separating the rest can't be a coincidence."

"And guys, I know this may seem small but…" Crystal started in a small voice "Don't you think it's a little weird that no one's talked about the Pluses from that day?"

Kendall raised a brow in confusion "Huh? What do you mean?" she asked "Everyone who was on that mission is still talking about it."

"But none of the higher-ups are," clarified Crystal "This is a huge thing, right? We came across something we've never seen before, a new enemy. Shouldn't we be trying to see exactly what we're up against?"

Mario rubbed his chin in thought "With all that's been occurring, I had somehow managed to forget about that, myself," he said "And now that I say that, I wonder if that was part of their plan."

"Plan?" repeated Jamie "I'll admit the system is really screwed, but it's not like they're a mastermind corporation."

"Let's not rule out that possibility," stated the young man.

"Huh?! You can't be serious, Mario!" Jamie then turned to Kendall "Tell me you're with me on this, Kendall. Youtube's fuck-ups aren't part of some "evil plan", right?"

The tall woman seemed to shrink under the eyes on her "I-I don't know…" she faltered "I want to believe that all of this is just a mistake and it'll get fixed soon, but…It's just too weird. Nothing's making sense."

"I wasn't implying that Youtube is the main culprit," argued Crystal, frowning slightly "I was going to say that maybe whoever's responsible for the Pluses is infiltrating Youtube through our own soldiers."

"You mean like a spy?" asked Jamie.

"Yes, exactly."

"Then…that means one of us is a traitor?" worriedly asked Kendall.

Again, Crystal frowned "Unfortunately…and it may be more than one."

"For now, it's just a theory," affirmed Mario "But doesn't mean we should sit on the issue and hope for the best. We'll need to do some investigation."

The male glanced around "And spy or not, be careful of anyone suspicious."

Everyone gave their agreements and returned to training. Though, Mario's words hung in the air long after the group disbanded. Each person could feel the words stalking them like ghosts.

Haunting them.

* * *

"Tabetha, do you hear that?"

"Hm?"

Felicia glanced at the wall behind her as she listened intently. When it was over, she spoke up again "I've been hearing it every week," she said "It sounds like footsteps, like a group of people."

"It is," confirmed Tabetha "It's probably the guards taking out other prisoners to bathe since it's every week."

Felicia perked up her head "The lieutenants! It's gotta be them," she declared.

Tabetha gave an insecure expression "Are you sure? That seems unlikely," she doubted.

"The guard said the four of us were the only prisoners in here," argued Felicia.

"He could have been lying," denied Tabetha "What reason does he have to tell us the truth about anything?"

"What reason would he have to lie if he thinks we're so hopelessly trapped in here?" countered Felicia "He's not even here because he's _so_ sure we can't escape."

"It's a fifty-fifty chance," murmured the brunette.

There was a pause in the conversation before Felicia spoke up again.

"We need to meet up with the lieutenants," she said.

"Yes, but what will we do then?" questioned Tabetha "All we know is that we were arrested for possessing Gaming Orbs. How is that information useful in our escape?"

"Depends…" Felicia's voice took a sour tone "Is the reason you pulled me into Drive-By Bullet Royale rounds considered "useful information"?"

Tabetha's mouth wavered "I was…only trying to do what my father wanted."

"To kill someone via video game, sure, I get it."

"No, no!" begged Tabetha "Look, he wanted me to win Bullet Royale altogether, and the way to do that was through a set of challenges. One of them included winning a round without taking any damage points."

Felicia jolted at the words, her ice blue eyes widening "…Win Bullet Royale altogether…?" she breathed "Jamie…"

Not hearing the blonde, Tabetha continued "I-I know it sounds silly, winning a game that's not really supposed to be won as a whole, but that's the thing. The real reason my father—"

"The Incognito Tab."

There was another pause, and then Tabetha gave a weak smile "Yes…! Yes! You understand!" she beamed.

"I do," said Felicia in a stubborn tone "And to some degree, I can almost forgive you for all the shit you pulled."

Tabetha's steel blue eyes sank in guilt, but still clung to hope.

"I wanna get out of here with you, but you're gonna have to do everything I say," declared Felicia "So listen, even if the prisoners up there aren't the lieutenants, we can both agree that meeting with them is a good idea, right?"

"I suppose so…" Tabetha nervously agreed.

Felicia crossed her arms in thought "So we just need to figure how to meet up with them."

"Yes," affirmed Tabetha.

"And we'll meet them next week, same time," continued Felicia.

This time, Tabetha countered "But we get bathed on a different day of the week."

Felicia smirked with a confident chuckle "I can make an arrangement."

* * *

That afternoon, there was a Plus attack. As usual, four squads were sent out to take care of it while the rest stayed inside, keeping their 4D Maneuver Gear on them in case of an emergency.

Regardless, Jamie stuck to her word and stood by the cafeteria door where she and the others had agree to meet and discuss any findings from the investigation. She had hoped that the invasion was nothing serious, but when Crystal was the only one to show up, the Irish woman grew worried.

"What happened to Mario and Kendall?" asked Jamie.

"Their squad was one of the squads sent out to take care of the Plus," explained Crystal "Luckily, it's just an ordinary case of a Plus slipping through a crack in the Net. Nothing unusual this time and no sign of the Rose Pluses."

Jamie wiped her brow as if to flick away nervous sweat "Thank God," she sighed "So it's just you and I today, huh?"

"It seems so, yeah," agreed the shorter female.

Jamie then lowered her voice "Well, I found something interesting in Tabetha's room," she said "On her Clove pad, there was an attachment to the request letter Youtube gave us. It was from Toby Turner."

Crystal furrowed her brows as she tried to recognize the name "Her…dad?"

"Yes," said Jamie "The attachment had instructions for how to win Bullet Royale and access the Incognito Tab."

The shorter woman's eye widened in curiosity "What is that?"

"You don't know either?" Jamie scoffed "Geez, am I really the only one who knows?" she mumbled to himself "It's a safe community away from the Pluses. Only the upper class and people who finish all the challenges to win Bullet Royale can get there."

"You're serious…?!" Crystal gasped "Why doesn't everyone know about this? Why aren't we all in there?"

"Well, considering it was initially only made for the upper class, that speaks for itself," Jamie sneered, crossing her arms in disgust "They wouldn't give a damn if we were left behind."

Crystal pursed her lips in thought, occasionally looking back at the brunette "Hey, there might be someone else who knows about this."

"Who?"

"P.L.A.Y.," answered Crystal "If anything, they might know about what's going on as a whole. I mean, their job is to monitor Youtube, right?"

"Yes!" Jamie perked up "We can probably make it now. C'mon!"

Before Crystal knew it, Jamie had gripped her arm and eagerly dragged her down the hallways.

"W-W-Wait! We don't even know if they'll let us in!" stammered Crystal as she struggled to keep up.

"Of course they will! They let me into Tab and Feli's rooms. They ain't even lock the doors."

Crystal's response was a simple, yet baffled "What?", but she thought to herself " _So people are just able to freely go through their stuff?_ "

Jamie immediately tried the door when they reached Ariana's laboratory. When it slid open, the Irish woman gave Crystal a sweet shrug.

Without anyone else in the hallway, the two stepped into the lab and let the door close behind them.

Crystal flicked on the lights, but even that didn't lift the emptiness that the lab held without its owner. It was like a vacant house that someone had been kidnapped from. Even Ariana's scene lingered about.

Jamie walked around to the far side of the lab where the a large computer was embedded in the wall "Hello? P.L.A.Y.?" she called out.

In an instant, the monitor lit up "Siana! Thank goodness, someone familiar!" the program's voice sighed.

"Hey P.L.A.Y.," Crystal softly greeted "Have you…heard of what's been happening?"

"Naturally," they replied in a disappointed voice "It's part of my programming to record everything that happens here, even things I'd rather not see…"

There was a beat of sympathy between Jamie and Crystal.

"Don't worry, we're working to fix this," reassured the Irish woman "That's why we're here to ask you some questions."

"I'll be happy to supply any information to help you," P.L.A.Y. promised.

"Alright, do you know anything about the Incognito Tab?" asked Jamie.

"Yes," said the program "It's a protected community that was built for the upper class to live away from the Viruses back in May 2005. When Gaming Orbs were created, a woman hid a passageway in a Bullet Royale server to allow her middle class sister to enter the Incognito Tab."

Jamie frowned "She put her sister through all of those challenges? But you just said she was trying to save her, right?"

"I did, and she was, but she couldn't let people find out about the passageway," explained P.L.A.Y. "The Incognito Tab was created _specifically_ for the upper class. If anyone was caught letting in people who weren't, they would be banned."

"Wouldn't the people who regulate the community see that the sister was middle class?" questioned Crystal.

"Yes, that's why the woman sent her a false identity record along with the instructions on how to enter the Incognito Tab," answered the program "Some of you should have received the same thing from your parents in your Youtube request letters."

Crystal thought back to when Ariana showed her the note attachment Cry had left her. It was in this very room that she read that note. The dark-haired woman felt her circuits tense up and grow cold "I didn't," she shuddered.

"What?" asked P.L.A.Y.

Crystal lifted her head "I didn't get that message from my dad," her voice then rose in shaky anger "Why? Why wouldn't he tell me about this? Why would he give me this new body just so I could die again on the battle field?!"

Jamie's expression darkened, but P.L.A.Y. was the only one who spoke "Crystal, wait—"

"Here I was thinking that he cared, reading that sappy little love letter," enraged tears brimmed her eyes, leaking from her eyepatch "Stupid. If he really cared, what he would have written was a way to survive this war!" she looked at her hands, the wires underneath imitating blood-pumping veins "But no…he just wanted his little prodigy to make a name for him. "The Genius Who Created a Perfect Robot Soldier." That's all I am, a product…a soldier."

"No, Crystal, you don't understand," P.L.A.Y. insisted, only to be interrupted again.

Jamie, who had been silent with a rigid expression, spoke up "You think you're the only one that feels that way?" she uttered.

The shorter female looked over her shoulder.

"We're all products here. Felicia, Kendall, Mario, all of us!" scolded Jamie "We don't have the privilege of knowing we were born out of a loving parentage. No, we were all made in goddamn test tubes by cold hands. At least you can say you _had_ real parents! At least you can say the hands that put you back together did it out of love!"

"Jamie…"

The brunette continued "Everyday, I'm faced with the expectation to be like my father—Tch, it's even a joke to call him that! I have to be great like him. I have to take responsibility for his mistakes. I have to take his criticism. Every fucking day since I was made!" by this point, she was clenching her fists in frustration "And for what? I don't get rewarded. I just have to take his place as a soldier and give up my life for people who say they like me until I screw up?"

Jamie jabbed a finger at the shorter woman's chest "That's the life of every descendant here, Crystal! You're not the only one who feels like a cheap product!"

Suddenly, there were banging noises on the door. Before either woman could even react, the door slid open and two men rushed inside.

"What are you doing in here?" one asked in a very accusing manner.

"No one should be in here," growled the other as he cracked his knuckles in an intimidating fashion "Now get your asses back to your squads now!"

The fire still present in Jamie's being, the woman barked "What? We're not breaking any rules. This is our lieutenants office and we have every right to be in here."

" _Former_ lieutenants," correct the first man "Those two have no authority here anymore."

"And you don't determine your rights, we do," asserted the other man.

"And who are _you_?" asked Jamie "I've never seen anyone like you around here!"

The first man gave a dismissive "Alright, take 'em out," before the second man lunged at the two females.

Within a split second, both women's dainty wrists were snatched into the vice grip of the man's large hands. Jamie and Crystal struggled and fought as the man dragged them away.

"Girls, wait, listen!" P.L.A.Y.'s voice rang out, competing with the women's struggling "They tampered with the headsets! They framed the lieutenants!"

"Get 'em out of here," the first man mumbled as he held the door open for the second man.

In the few seconds it took to drag the girls out of the lab, P.L.A.Y. continued to cry out "They rigged the headsets to cut off communication! They tried to frame the lieutenants! They…!"

But the door slid shut, leaving the program in solitude once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yes, even though P.L.A.Y. is a computer program, you can still consider them a non-binary character since they have a personality of their own. I know it's kind of a far reach, but I just thought it'd be fun to see P.L.A.Y. as a person, y'know?


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning: The beginning of this chapter contains some unsanitary content. Nothing explicit, of course, but I wouldn't recommend eating while you read this.  
> This overall chapter is just pretty dark, so read with caution.

"This is horrible."

"Are you gonna do it?"

"Yes. I want to get out of here just as much as you do."

"Good."

Felicia then heard the sounds of Tabetha gagging, followed by the unpleasant splatter of her meal hitting the plush floors. The blonde could say she had a relatively strong stomach, but the sound of Tabetha's deed combined with the feeling of her own body's fluids soaked through her skin and clothes was nauseating.

She heard Tabetha cough and sputter "He should be here in a few minutes."

The blonde sighed through her nose. That was about all she could take.

On the day she and Tabetha had agreed on their escape plan, Felicia's biological clock had started its monthly cycle. She requested her seven tampons and used them as she normally would in the luxury of her own home instead of stretching them out for each day like she was expected to do. So when she had used them all on the third day, she simply stayed in bed and never moved. She had positioned her mattress so that any meal she received through the hatch was within arm's reach.

Even though the blonde was resilient, she couldn't say the experience didn't bring her close to breaking at some points. The natural symptoms of her cycle such as cramps and headaches couldn't be remedied by any medication. Although she had a high pain tolerance, it was still a burden. However, Felicia came across a flaw in her plan that she deemed to be the worst of her problems. When the guard offered to escort them to the outhouse, Felicia realized that she could not take the offer without the guard seeing her mess. From then on, Felicia decided only to eat one bite of her meals. She could stand her own blood, but nothing else.

Felicia blacked out a few times from the strain on her body. She figured that she could at least drink her water to keep herself hydrated and try to tolerate the aftermath.

The entire ordeal vividly reminded her of the times she had been placed in solitary confinement during training camp. She even experienced a few flashbacks while she lied there. The woman wept through the migraines and horrific memories, but she did not move. No matter what flashbacks she went through, the blonde willed herself to keep quiet and still, and every time a flashback would end without giving herself away, she felt a sort of…triumph.

"Jesus Christ—what happened?!"

The sound of the guard's disgusted voice rang out from Tabetha's cell.

Felicia just barely heard Tabetha murmur "…stomach…sick," She could tell that the brunette was definitely embarrassed, even though it was completely intentional.

"Fuckin'…get out of there. Come here, come—whoa! Not too close! Just stand over there. God, this mess…This ain't what I signed up for."

Felicia lifted her head up "Guard!"

The aggravated steps and muttered curses migrated to the blonde's cell door before it opened "Whad'ya want—oh my god!"

The man gagged and immediately covered his nose and mouth.

Felicia, who had been forced to endure the smell for the past four days, sat up with an almost sinister glare "Don't you know that a tampon a day isn't nearly enough for a woman?" she asked in an almost taunting manner.

The guard clenched his eyes shut and turned "Goddamn…" he said "Get out here! I'm hosing the both of you rotten brats outside. Ugh, they better not make me clean out your cells…"

It took all of Felicia's willpower not to smile in glee as the man cautiously handcuffed the two females and led them outside. Joy at her success and fear at the possibility of failing threatened to explode within the blonde's being.

The door creaked open and the guard continued to drag the two women along like a tired father with two children. Both girls found themselves squinting at the sunshine beaming down from above. Even though autumn had dulled down the brightness of the sky, it appeared lustrous to the two females. Their eyes had been conditioned to the darkness of their cells.

Grumbling all the way in spite, the guard took the two females to a marble toned area cut off from the rest of the grassy plain. There were three walls, the fourth space open for the guards to spray the prisoners down with a hose. Two drains were positioned on the floor for all the water to collect.

As always, he barked a firm "Stay there," before stomping off to grab the water hose.

Felicia's chest tightened.

Marceline and Ariana were not there.

She feared that their plan had gone to waste; that they missed the perfect opportunity to begin their escape. That's when she heard voices.

"…Telling you man, these bitches are a handful. This one tried to bite me the other day."

The male voice was not her own guard.

Turning around, the blonde saw five people: her guard, two other guards, and finally, her lieutenants.

Ariana's honey brown eyes met with Felicia's, glinting in hope that has struggled through pain. Both Ariana and Marceline looked extremely worn and dirty, making Felicia wonder briefly if she and Tabetha looked just as bad. That thought was quickly cast aside when the two women were brought up to the marble stone ground.

Ariana spoke first "I see you two had a little accident," she teased with a knowing grin.

Tabetha shrugged, making sure to mind the guards and speak just as vaguely "That time of the month can be brutal in jail," she said.

It was only when Marceline said "Understandable," that Felicia finally took note of her appearance.

Unlike the blonde who had a constant blood stain between her legs, Marceline had blood streaks all over herself.

"What happened to you?" Felicia couldn't help but gasp.

In contrast to her panic, the Asian woman casually glanced at herself and said "Oh, you mean this? Don't worry, it's not my blood."

She nodded at the guards "Our guards tend to get a little perverted at times, and I have to set them straight."

Felicia's mouth went dry at that statement, and the world seemed to slow down around her.

Even the analytical Tabetha held distress in her voice when she hushed "You mean they…?"

After the horrified pause, Marceline bluntly stated "No, they didn't even come close to actually touching me."

"They're targeting her because she's the more "assertive" out of the two of us," Ariana said in a dejected tone "They assume that she makes all the decisions in the Survey Corps and thinks she's more deserving of punishment."

"What about you?" asked Felicia.

Ariana shrugged, her eyes never leaving the floor "Thankfully, they haven't tried anything with me. When I first got here, I kept obsessing over the fact that the failed expedition was my fault, and I couldn't stop crying. The guards would beat me to get me to stop, but eventually they got bored and moved onto Marceline."

Both Tabetha and Felicia were stunned to silence, looks of absolute horror and devastation crossing their features.

"I cannot believe it…" Tabetha breathed.

Still in her defeated tone, Ariana sighed "I suppose in some ways, it's what I deserve. I endangered all of those soldiers and ended up killing some of them, all for nothing."

Marceline's dark eyes widened as she stared up at her lover.

"I consider what happened to me as…an atonement of some kind."

Marceline then stammered "N-No no, Ari, sis—it's not your—"

Before the conversation could continue, one of the guards stepped up to the four "Alright, the hose is busted, but we're still required to keep you clean," he said "We'll give you a bucket of soapy water and some sponges, and you'll hand us your clothes so we can wash them."

"Y-Y-You want us to just wash ourselves naked out here…?" Felicia stammered in horror.

The guard scowled "Your other option is die from whatever bacterial disease gets to you first."

"We don't have a choice," Tabetha stated. Though, despite her bold words, her fingers shook as she tried to remove her shirt.

Ariana followed suit. Marceline swiped her arm across her eyes and did the same. It was down to Felicia, who, after a moment's hesitation, chose to accept her fate. With the handcuffs on them, the women ended up having to help one another take off their clothes.

The guard apathetically collected their clothes and left the four alone.

"We don't have much time," Felicia said "We need to think of a plan."

"That's what I figured you came here for," said Marceline "Assuming the other two guards don't come back to watch over us, it will take this guard about ten minutes to walk to the building where they keep everything and back. We have about half an hour or so to wait for our clothes to be washed and dried. So first of all, what do we know?"

"Something corrupt is happening, for sure," stated Tabetha "It might have something to do with the Incognito Tab."

Ariana frowned "The what?"

Tabetha gave a condensed explanation "It is a community built to escape the Pluses. You can get in by winning Bullet Royale as a whole through a hack."

"That definitely sounds sketchy," admitted Ariana "But how does that relate to throwing us in jail without reason?"

"Tabetha and I were jailed for having Orbs," Felicia butted in "Maybe they don't want us to win and find out about the Incognito Tab."

"But that doesn't explain why Marceline and I were jailed, too," argued Ariana.

"Yes it does," Marceline spoke up "We're not just the Survey Corps.' leaders. We're the leaders of the Youtube descendants. Removing us couldn't have been a mistake."

"And after you left, we were all disbanded and put in different squads," added Felicia.

Marceline gave a confirmative hum.

"What does this mean?" questioned Tabetha.

"We're supposed to give humanity a fighting chance against the Pluses," Ariana rationalized "But by confining our actions, making us distrust each other, and dividing us…"

"Someone doesn't want humanity to win," Marceline's response was cold and just as firm as her other statements. It sent a chill down everyone's spine and left the air frigid.

"This still doesn't help us figure out how we can escape," grumbled Tabetha "Even if we ran right now, we wouldn't have anywhere to go in the first place."

That's when it hit Felicia.

"Jamie's Orb," she said "Jamie buried an Orb in the A9 field under a rock."

"She did?" questioned Marceline.

Ariana smiled "That's my girl."

"But we're in the B6 field," said Tabetha "How will we get there?"

For once in the rushed conversation, there was a pause.

"Drat! If I had my talisman, I could use the disguise mechanism to get past the guards," cursed Tabetha.

Felicia's eyes flicked over to the building where their guard was returning with a green cube and a bucket of water.

" _The guards must have some place where they rest and get all of their food for us_ ," thought Felicia " _Is that why Marceline assumed that building over that was "where they keep everything"?_ "

The guard set the bucket down so as to make sure none of its contents splashed on him "And just so you know…" he lifted his head and flashed a disgusting grin "…You're not on a time limit. Take as long as you need."

Felicia grit her teeth in an attempt to bite back her foul words " _Of course, of fucking course!_ " she thought as the man walked a few yards away and dropped his green cube in the shade where it blossomed into a cozy plush chair.

Felicia remembered those portable chairs. She always dreamed of being able to set one up outside just as the sun was setting, and relax, knowing that her hard work and suffering had been over. Sitting in such a disgraceful position while she watched one of her captors take her fantasy way almost pushed her to tears.

Tabetha gave the blonde a gentle tap when the women started washing themselves, making Felicia stoop down to wash herself as well.

"I have an idea," suddenly said Ariana "The padded cells don't have an opening except for the hatch where they give you food. Even the door is sealed airtight."

"Yes," agreed Tabetha.

"Which means there must be an air vent somewhere in the walls," continued Ariana "If there wasn't one, we wouldn't have any breathable air."

"Hmm, that could explain why I felt a slight breeze by one of the walls," mused Marceline as she held her chin in thought "In fact, it seemed to be coming from one particular square pad."

"Do you think there's one behind a square pad in all of our cells?" questioned Felicia.

"Most likely, yes," confirmed Marceline "And if it encompasses the size of the pad, someone could definitely fit through there."

"That is a very slim chance," Tabetha doubted "But we need to try something. At this point, there is not much the guards can do to us as further punishment."

Felicia realized that Tabetha was right. According to the guards, they hadn't planned on releasing the girls any time soon, so extending their sentence as punishment was impossible. Forcing them to do manual labor wasn't that horrible in comparison to the work they do as soldiers. But then Felicia thought of the training camp.

"Agh!" the blonde dropped the sponge and clutched her head as another flashback shot through her skull.

Immediately, the other three females directed their attention to her.

"Felicia?"

"What's wrong?"

"Is it another migraine?"

The blonde answered yes to Ariana's question "I'm just…scared they'll punish us…the way they did in the training camp," she struggled to say "I-I…I don't know if I could take it."

She rubbed her eyes viciously with her fists, as if trying to wipe away the memory from her eyelids.

Tabetha reached out to hold the blonde "Don't worry, Felicia. They can't do that. They clearly work by some kind of rule system, otherwise they wouldn't be required to feed and bathe us."

"But you see what they've been doing to Marceline and Ariana!" the blonde snapped "Even in the training camp, they would never physically punish us, but back at home…after my mom die—" She stopped herself, realizing just what she was saying. She was trembling now. Her eyes were blown wide open and tears streamed from them like waterfalls.

That was the end of it. Felicia didn't speak again.

Tabetha picked up her sponge and helped wash the blonde as Ariana and Marceline further discussed ways to escape. The slender brunette spoke up once to ask a question.

"When you were arrested, what did they say about the Rose Pluses?"

Both women paused for a moment, their faces filled with absence.

"They didn't," Ariana breathed in realization "It was so abnormal, yet they didn't say a single thing about them."

"Is that something they're trying to cover up, as well?" queried Marceline.

"Possibly," confirmed Tabetha "One thing I noticed about the Rose Pluses is that they showed signs of intelligence. When the soldiers and I hid in the trees, the other Pluses were pushing their chests up against the trunks while they reached for us. When they did that, we could not attack them to escape. We just had to wait until something called them over."

"Something called them?" questioned Ariana "What was it?"

"None of us could see it, or hear it, for that matter," answered Tabetha "It was most likely at a frequency that only the Pluses could hear. The reason I know it was some sort of call is because they all suddenly turned around in one direction and ran together."

"So you're suggesting that the Rose Pluses have somehow trained them?" posed Marceline.

"Precisely," confirmed Tabetha.

"In that case, I think it's safe to come to one conclusion," Marceline said "Whoever is orchestrating this has created custom Pluses to create this chain of events…and possibly even more things to come."

Tabetha and Felicia's guard approach them, and that's where their conversation was cut short.

"Alright, your cells are clean now," he groaned " _You're_ getting padded underwear and _you're_ getting stomach medicine," he pointed at each woman in disgust with each statement. He turned around with a curt "C'mon," without waiting for the two to follow him.

Tabetha gently eased Felicia up onto her feet. By now, the blonde had stopped crying and was no longer trembling.

"Wait," Marceline stood up "I want you two to remember this name," she said.

Felicia's tired blue eyes roamed over to the Asian woman, whereas Tabetha cautiously looked back at their guard before turning slightly to the side.

Marceline leaned in between the two females and whispered quietly.

"Apollyon Kratz."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look up the individual names "Apollyon" and "Kratz" if you want some insight on what's ahead.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry everyone, that last chapter is the most graphic this story is going to get. I know the original AOT likes to pile on disturbing material that doesn't really contribute to the plot that much, but I don't want to do that. If I'm going to put in disturbing material, it's going to be for a reason.

" _Hello everyone! I would like to introduce you to some new faces that you'll be seeing around here! They're your Youtube Heroes! They'll be making your experience here in Youtube all the more enjoyable! Isn't that wonderful?_ "

The obnoxiously chipper male voice put every soldier in a shocked state. Every room of the military base looked like a photograph taken in the midst of an activity, as the soldiers immediately halted whatever they were doing at the sound of the unusual announcement.

Instead of Chief Elric's stern features displayed on each screen with his booming voice of authority, a cartoon businessman smiled at the soldiers and talked to them as though they were children.

"What is this?" questioned Crystal.

"Shh, listen," silenced Mario.

"… _They're here to watch over you through security cameras and make sure that you are conducting safe behavior! That way, we can make sure that you remain unharmed and are receiving proper care! Think of them as your guardians of sorts! Here at Youtube, we want to make sure our soldiers are in safe hands, so if you ever feel that one of your fellow soldiers being dangerous, please report to us!_ "

Despite the fact that the man spoke in such a juvenile manner, Mario squinted in suspicion and unease.

Crystal curiously spoke up "H-Hey, that sounds like a good thing, right?"

Mario gave nothing but a grunt as he continued to listen to the announcement.

The cartoon man rambled on about the same subjects, using a lot of repetition and saccharine, patronizing language. All the while, Mario listened intently, his expression becoming more and more stern as he gripped his sleeve.

Finally, after what felt like an hour, the announcement ended.

Crystal looked up at Mario for an answer.

"The only thing I can say is that it's shady," the honey-haired man said, not looking away from the monitor "They're keeping a close eye on us to keep us from doing something they don't want. Perhaps…to keep us from finding something we're not supposed to see."

Crystal thought back to the other day when she and Jamie entered Ariana's laboratory. They were swept away by a mysterious pair of soldiers. Could they have been Youtube Heroes?

"Keep a low profile. You're being watched now," said Mario.

Crystal gulped audibly, feeling that even that small gesture had been monitored and documented.

* * *

Just as Tabetha and Felicia had planned, their scheduled bathing day had stuck to Ariana and Marceline's. This allowed the four to further discuss their escape plans. Even though the wardens showed no interest in changing their bathing day, the women treated each meeting like it was their last.

"Felicia, Tabetha, when the wardens leave at night, take that opportunity to go through the air vents and run for the A9 field," said Marceline.

"But how will we know when the others have made it?" asked Tabetha.

"We won't," stated Marceline "This is something we'll all have to do independently."

Felicia's eyes widened in fear "B-But what if you and Ariana don't make it?"

"You'll just have to trust that we will," said Marceline "Even if we're left behind, I trust that you and Tabetha will come back for us."

The blonde bit her lip, fear brimming her eyes.

"Felicia," Ariana spoke up, her voice as warm as honey "When you're a soldier, you have to learn to trust your comrades. That's why Marceline and I have always believed in you and the others," she inclined her head endearingly "And you know what? We'll keep believing in you even after we leave Youtube."

Felicia looked at the Brit. Then her eyes flicked over to Marceline, who was nodding with a faint smile of approval. Felicia then looked to Tabetha, whose eyes held a swirl of both fear and hope.

The blonde lowered her head and gave a smile of her own "Okay…"

* * *

It didn't take long for tension to grow between the soldiers and the Youtube Heroes. Initially, the soldiers tried to see the Heroes as fellow soldiers and welcome them into their home. Almost everyone saw the Heroes as one of Platinum Web's many gifts for them. Just like the money for better medical supplies and better hygiene products, the soldiers saw the Youtube Heroes as another tool to help them stay in their best shape.

Naturally, though, there were a few people who were suspicious like Mario. Some even openly showed their distaste. That distaste began to spread over the next week.

Many soldiers complained of the Youtube Heroes looking down at them and regarding them with condescending attitudes. For a while, it was seen as just that: complaints. That was to be expected from any community facing a change, but then things escalated.

"What do you mean I'm not "ad-friendly"?" a soldier snarled at the emotionless face of the Youtube Hero before him.

The scarlet-clad male simply said "I don't have any say in the matter. I'm only the messenger."

Other soldiers gathered around to witness the spectacle.

The soldier huffed through his flared nostrils in some attempt to calm himself "Fine. Then can you at least tell me why I'm not allowed to make ads anymore?" he asked.

The Hero nodded accordingly "As of yesterday, you were reported using profanity towards another soldier."

"So what?!" exclaimed the male "We're all adults here! And it's not like I was threatening him or anything."

"Yes, but according to the new rules, you were conducting behavior that is deemed "unsightly" for the image of Youtube," stated the Hero.

The soldier squinted, taken aback by what he had just heard "What? So because I said a bad word, I can't earn extra cash by doing chores around the base?"

"This is more than just earning additional funds, or as you like to call them, "ads"," explained the Hero "The people of Platinum Web look up to Youtube as a beacon of hope. What would we be doing for the people if they saw us as sailor-mouthed brutes?"

""Us"? You Youtube Hero punks don't do jack shit around here!" exclaimed the soldier, clutching his fists as his sides "You're just civilians who were offered some money just to rat on us!"

In a flash, scarlet-clad figures swarmed around the soldier. The other soldiers watched in horror as the Youtube Heroes wrestled the man down to the ground like a rampaging criminal.

"I know what you really are!" the male soldier cried out as he was handcuffed "You get all of our benefits without even having to fight! You're just here to take our respect and our titles! You're being rewarded for snitching!"

The man continued to yell out these accusations as the Heroes dragged him away. His words trailed behind even after he was gone, scratching against the cold steel walls of the hallway.

The Youtube Hero whom he was initially talking to walked over to the middle of the hallway, where everyone's attention was.

"Let this act as a lesson to you all," he said, tapping his visor "You're all under our watchful eyes. It's best you conduct yourself properly."

* * *

Jamie scoped the gym around her "The tension here's thicker than Kendall," she remarked.

The brunette in question paused as she wiped the sweat from her brow with her towel.

"Relax! I'm just trying to lift your spirits, guys," said Jamie "Like I said, you can hardly breathe with all this tension. And we all know it's because—"

"Shh! Jamie!" hissed Crystal, her voice wavering "Not so loud; we don't want to get in trouble!"

The petite girl discretely pointed towards the scarlet-clad individuals standing along the walls of the gym. After the incident that had just occurred, everyone in the gym was now deathly afraid of the hawk eyes surveying them.

Jamie rolled her eyes like a spoiled child "Yeah, yeah, whatever," she sighed "Ya can't even pick your nose with these guys watching."

The worry in Crystal's face deepened, her gaze flicking over to the Heroes in a paranoid manner.

"We'll talk in the locker room, okay?" said Kendall, trying to look more focused on the weights in her hands "Just exercise right now so you won't look so suspicious."

Crystal obliged and seated herself on the floor to start stretching.

Jamie hesitated and caught the gaze of one of the Youtube Heroes. She couldn't see his eyes behind his visor, but she could tell from the way his head was turned directly in her direction that she was, unmistakably, the target of his accusatory gaze.

The Irish woman gave a stubborn scoff and stepped onto the treadmill beside her.

The Hero's stare lingered on her for a moment before he returned to his relaxed state.

* * *

" _Just remember what they told you. When you get outside, scope out your surroundings. Get to the rock. Dig it up. Escape. If someone sees you, run. Just run. Don't stop to fight them. Run._ "

Felicia repeated those instructions to herself as she crawled through the air vent. Her fingers felt numb against the cold metal. With every thump her knees made against the tight walls, she feared that it would reach the ears of the sleeping wardens. She never knew where they stayed when she and Tabetha fell asleep. For all she knew, they could have been sleeping right in those stiff chairs outside of the cell. She just prayed that if that was true, that the wardens were heavy sleepers.

At last, the blonde had reached another vent cover. Her hands shook as she pulled out the piece of metal she had previously used to unscrew the vent cover from her cell. Blood still smeared from her fingers from when she had to break off that sliver of metal from the slot on her cell door, but at this point, all she worried about was the possibility of a warden coming into the room.

Felicia carefully set the vent cover on the floor and slid out of the vent in a serpentine manner. Her blue eyes scanned the dark room.

A laundry room.

It was a laundry room with one door.

Felicia stepped up to the door and listened intently, but she could barely hear a thing over the sound of her own heartbeat.

The blonde carefully cracked the door open and peeked inside.

It was another dark room, a quiet one.

She opened the door more and more, and was almost awestruck when she saw the outside of her and Tabetha's jail cells.

In front of her was the empty chair of the warden. Farther away from that was the short hallway with the door that led outside.

_Outside._

Felicia hurried towards the door and pulled it open. The cold rush of the night air hit her immediately. She looked back at what was once her prison, but then she remembered that she was on borrowed time.

The blonde closed the door behind her and tiptoed around the building. She didn't see anyone. Felicia was alone. No comrades and no higher-ups to guide her. She was left with a set of instructions and her own natural instincts as a soldier.

The blonde got down on her stomach and began to crawl along the grass. Without any bushes or other tall plants to conceal her figure, she knew her running black-and-white striped figure in the night would obtain immediate attention. Even if the wardens were asleep, she didn't want to take the risk of being spotted. Though, there was a setback in this strategy. It would take a significantly longer amount of time to get to the A9 field than it would if she had run the entire way. The entire trek towards the field, the blonde wondered which option was really the better of the two.

Felicia felt that she had been crawling for an eternity. Her fear of being caught metamorphosed into a confident doubt, but then she saw it.

She saw the rock.

The blonde's head perked up. Could it really be? Had she really reached her destination without being snatched away?

Yes! Felicia was in the A9 field.

The young woman leaped onto her hands and feet, and bounded towards the rock like a wild dog. She eventually corrected her stance and began to run on her two feet like the human she was.

Felicia's open palms slapped onto the rock as she grasped it and swiftly tossed it aside. Her fingers dug into the loose earth and scooped out handfuls in a rapid manner. Once her nails scraped against something smooth, she knew she had found it.

The blonde pushed her hands into the dirt around the Orb and scooped it up from the dirt. When the device sat in her hands, she came to a realization. None of the others had gotten to the Orb yet. She was the first one to find it.

" _If I just leave it sitting out in the open, the wardens might find it_ ," she thought " _How can I make sure it's hidden when I leave?_ "

Felicia turned the Orb around so that the buttons and the screen faced up towards the sky. She then placed the Orb back into the hole that she had dug and pushed the dirt around it so only the buttons and the screen poked out from the ground.

The blonde turned the device on, the blue screen blinking to life.

She pressed the arrow keys until she had reached Bullet Royale.

Just then, two pairs of hands grabbed at the blonde.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"You're not thinking of leaving us, are you?

The blonde flailed with incredible strength, blood rushing through her veins at a dizzying speed. She was so close to freedom, so close to finding out the truth. She couldn't afford to let anything stop her.

Felicia scrolled through the servers as she struggled against the two people. The voices sounded female, she noted, but couldn't bring herself think any further about it.

Finally, the word "Monotone" flashed across the screen.

Her thumb jammed into the "Select" button.

Felicia felt the hands disappear from her body along with the dark night sky.

She opened her eyes.

* * *

Through some carefully worded metaphors, Jamie was able to tell the others about the Orb she had hidden in the A9 field.

Naturally, it didn't work as smoothly and quickly as she would have wanted. Being under such close watch, Jamie couldn't tell anyone that she was speaking in code, but after saying it enough times, the others found out that her strange choice of words had another meaning.

" _Man, I can't wait to go home so I can watch that show everyone's talking about. Y'know, 9-Ball Island? I heard it's on A-ListTV. It's about these kids who get stuck in a virtual reality game and have to find a way to survive and escape. I heard that the "Laundromat" episode was the best one. They had to disguise themselves and sneak through Noontime city to meet up with this guy named Murr Chance._ "

She repeated that same monologue without paraphrasing at all. It would always be the same words, the same sentences, and the same order. That way, there was no mistaking what she had intended.

That's how she, Kendall, Crystal, and Mario found themselves weaving through the crowded streets of the makeshift town on the edge of Youtube in cloaks. The drab clothing was only given to soldiers during times of harsh weather, and was stowed away in the laundry department just for those times. Though, without anyone going near such an unimportant room, it was easy for Jamie to grab some cloaks. Crystal and Kendall also carried laundry baskets stuffed with blankets to make them look like traveling merchants.

"If someone mistakes us for merchants and tries to buy something from us, we'll raise a lot of suspicion," said Mario.

"Hey, don't poke holes in my plan!" griped Jamie "Ya know how hard it was for me to pull this all together?"

"Please calm down, Jamie…" hushed Crystal.

"And don't go around announcing that you planned this," Kendall murmured with the glare of a disciplining mother "If you want to keep this under wraps, make some casual conversation."

The tall brunette then lifted her head and laughed "Ohh man, last night was crazy!"

The other three looked at one another briefly, and Crystal joined in with a laugh of her own "I know, right? I didn't expect Jamie to go that far! Did _you_ , Mario?"

The usually stoic faced man gave a content smile "When we're dealing with a wild card like Jamie, I'd expect nothing less."

"Ye-Yeah, that…that thing I did," Jamie stammered, struggling to think of anything clever to add "Sure was, uh…batshit crazy, amiright?"

"That's the last time we're letting you drink on our watch!" Crystal joked.

The four young adults shared a laugh that quickly turned genuine at the presence of their poor acting.

Kendall was the last to finish laughing, only stopped by the slight impact her front made with Mario's back.

He had stopped walking, and the other three stopped around him.

Before him stood India and Antonia, purposefully facing him in a confrontational stance.

"Fancy meeting you here, Mario," greeted India.

"Ooh, it seems like someone's been getting lucky with the ladies!" teased Antonia as she inclined her head in interest "I didn't know you were such a player, Mario."

The honey-haired male frowned as he crossed his arms "We're friends, Antonia."

The woman rolled her eyes "Geez, I was only kidding. Learn to take a joke once it a while!"

"Yes, Mario, people who get defensive around jokes usually have something to hide," commented India with her smug smile.

Mario didn't respond.

"I suppose you're here for a little outing?" asked India "Why don't you spend the day with us? We would love to get to know your "friends"."

"I'm sorry, but we really can't stay," kindly declined Kendall "We're actually running a few errands for the Chief."

India's cold blue stare shifted over to the brunette. Her smile seemed to melt a bit as she looked at the woman.

"Hm, Kendall, is it?" she asked.

The much larger brunette shivered slightly under India's gaze "Y-Yes. That's right."

India gave Kendall a once-over "Such an uncouth girl. I don't seem to remember speaking to you."

"Wh-What…?"

India's words cut through like an ice cold blade. It wasn't so much the message, but the ease at which she was able to give it that cut deep.

"Yeah, when we were talking about Mario's friends, we were talking about these two," Antonia said, motioning towards Crystal and Jamie "Like hell we'd wanna be around a cow like you."

"What the f—!"

"Don't talk to her that way," Mario's stern voice dominated Jamie's shrill exclamation before she was even able to complete it "You can take your petty insults and shove it."

The two women appeared shocked.

"Huh? Mario, what are you saying? You've know us for years," questioned Antonia.

"Surely, you wouldn't treat someone you've known for so long this coldly," commented India.

"Friends or not, what you just said was unforgivable," scolded Mario "I demand an apology from the both of you."

Jamie, Kendall, and Crystal were shocked by the man's tone. This was the most intimidating they had ever seen him. It was almost frightening to watch.

India and Antonia, on the other hand, laughed.

No, they cackled.

Mario's eyes narrowed in an even more aggressive glare.

India spoke ""Friends"? Who said anything about being friends?" she adjusted her glasses "We said we had known you for years, but we never said you were our friend."

The anger in Mario's features faltered a bit in confusion.

"We were never your friends, dumbass!" snarked Antonia "Didn't you figure it out?"

Now all traces of anger had left the man's face and were exchanged for confusion.

"Aww, you really thought we liked you. How adorable," mocked India "You didn't know we were only around you for Felicia?"

There was a pause in which the other four soldiers stood in silence, trying to comprehend what was happening.

Antonia broke the silence with an even more maniacal cackle "Felicia's the only reason we tolerated you! If she didn't care so much about you, we would've killed you ages ago!"

At this, all four of the soldiers stared wide-eyed at the woman.

"Hey, that's not funny…!" Jamie scolded "I don't know who you are, but this psycho-bitch rouse ain't funny!"

"R-Right," Kendall said, her stutter betraying her "If you two are really friends of Felicia and Mario, you wouldn't be acting like this. Even if it is just a joke, this is sick."

"Shut it, country bumpkin!" snapped Antonia, her sadistic smile now replaced with a malicious sneer "You've got no room to talk about our beloved!"

Kendall was taken aback "B-Beloved? Felicia?"

"You know, Kendall, there was always one thing I hated more than that look of determination in your eyes," said India "And it's the name of our beloved on your disgusting tongue."

The tall woman took a step back, shivering under the oppressive atmosphere of the two women's hatred.

"Mario."

India's voice caused the honey-haired man to flinch.

"We told you we would always watch out for Felicia. We would never let anyone fail her…" India began to raise her hand.

"We'd tear down entire worlds for her. We'd destroy anyone that gets in the way of our love for her…" Antonia began to raise her hand.

The two women stood with their wrists hovered before their lips.

"We've already escaped hell thanks to her," said Antonia.

"And we've already made a deal with the devil to be with her," said India.

The two sank their teeth into their hands.

The sound of flesh breaking was the only thing to signal the explosion of energy that erupted in the center of the town.

Sounds of people screaming and buildings crushing under the impact of the explosion swarmed along with the dust.

The stars in Mario's head settled from the impact of his head against the building he had flown into. He groaned in pain, and looked up at the startling sight before him.

Amongst all of the dust that had flurried were the Rose Pluses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said this story had some elements from DRAMAtical Murder? I'm sure most of you already know that Bullet Royale is parallel to Rhyme. Well here, India and Antonia's parallel to Trip and Virus is finally revealed. Understand that this doesn't mean I dislike Smosh or that I think they have any rivalries with anyone (I love em!). I just liked the idea of India and Antonia being badass villains, especially since Ian and Anthony have such innocent personalities.
> 
> Also, a casual Game Grumps "9-Ball Island" reference that fits perfectly for th


	16. Chapter 16

“… _cia, can you hear me? Felicia, Felicia respond, please!_ ”

Ariana’s voice clicked into the blonde’s ear. The haze in her mind jostled as she jerked her head in response. The last thing she remembered was the feeling of being flung through some kind of passage. Cyan surrounded her vision, a dark spot always ahead of her as she progressed. She could hear sparks of electricity as the wind fluttered past her ears. She remembered how her journey came to a sudden halt when the darkness at the end of the passage quickly flashed into a bright light.

Felicia sat up, noticing her new attire tugging on her. A lightweight blue suit clung to her body. It covered everything below her neck, yet it didn’t feel oppressive.

“I-I’m here, lieutenant,” she said into her headset, her voice hoarse “I just woke up.”

“ _Oh thank god_ ,” sighed the English woman.

Felicia recognized the familiar sights of a game server around her. It wasn’t Bullet Royale, she knew, but it looked similar enough for her to assume that it was a game within the Orb.

“Where are you guys?” she asked as she looked around.

“ _It seems that we’ve all been put into separate servers_ ,” replied Ariana “ _I haven’t been able to fix the glitch or find its source_.”

Felicia stood up, looking around her silent surroundings “Have you heard from the others yet?” she asked.

“ _Yeah, I’ll connect them to you in a second_ ,” said Ariana.

“Wait! I still have questions for you,” Felicia interrupted “Did any of you actually make it to a Bullet Royale server?”

“ _No_ ,” said Ariana “ _In fact, none of us appear to be in servers of any known Orb games_.”

“Huh?” Felicia gasped “How’s that possible? Where are we?”

“ _I don’t know. It’s like we’re just floating in a separate plane of existence. We’re in the Gaming Orb, but at the same time, we’re not._ ”

Felicia held her head, threading her fingers through her golden bangs “This doesn’t make any sense.”

“ _I know, but that’s about all I’ve gathered so far. I was able to enter a code to fashion ourselves some cat suits and headsets, but I doubt that’s really useful information right now…_ ” Ariana  awkwardly cleared her throat “ _Are you ready for me to connect you to Marceline and Tabetha?_ ”

“Yes,” confirmed the blonde.

“ _Okay, let me hook you up to Marceline first so I can tell Tabetha what I just told you_ ,” explained Ariana before a click ended her sentence.

There was a beat of silence before Marceline’s voice emerged “ _Felicia?_ ”

“I’m here, Lieutenant.”

“ _Good, you heard what Ariana said_ ,” started Marceline “ _Things didn’t exactly go according to plan, so we have to adapt_.”

“Right,” agreed Felicia “So what’s our new plan?”

“ _We’re still going to find the Incognito Tab, that’s for sure. If the message Tabetha’s father gave her contains directions on how to access it, then it must be important. Ariana’s father and my own father must not have been aware of the Incognito Tab since they didn’t send us anything of the sort._ ”

Felicia hesitated to speak. Something about what Marceline had said stuck in her mind.

“ _Felicia, are you there?_ ”

“Y-Yeah, um, I was just thinking…” the blonde started “I got a message from my father before I signed up for Youtube.”

“ _What? You did?_ ” Marceline asked.

“It didn’t have anything to do with the Incognito Tab, though,” confessed Felicia “It was directions to find this necklace. I think it’s called a talisman.”

“ _Ah…!_ ”

Felicia jumped at the startled sound of her usually composed lieutenant.

“ _Your talisman, do you have it with you?_ ” she asked.

“No,” grumbled Felicia “The wardens took it when I was arrested.”

Marceline groaned “ _You too…so all four of us are out of luck._ ”

“What? You and Ariana have talismans, too?!” questioned Felicia.

“ _Based on what I’ve seen, all descendants might have talismans_ ,” explained Marceline “ _For whatever reason, they were handed down to us by our fathers and_ …”

Marceline paused, causing Felicia to worry that the connection may have dropped.

“Hello? Marceline?” she asked.

“ _No…that doesn’t make any sense_ ,” the woman said “ _O_ _ur fathers were long dead before we were even conceived_.”

“S-So…?”

“ _It should have been impossible for them to know of our future existence_ ,” stated Marceline.

Felicia paused, taking in the new information and trying to rationalize it in her mind. The project was conducted after they had died of old age.

“Is it possible that they were told about us?” asked the blonde.

“ _Hm?_ ”

“I mean, what if they were told that when they die, their bodies would be preserved so that their DNA could be used in the Reincarnation Project? I mean, that is a possibility.”

“ _No, it’s not. When the war against Viruses ended, we had no use for Youtube anymore. There was no way to predict that the Pluses would come years later and we would need to start Youtube again_.”

Felicia tried to rationalize the information layed out before her again, but she fell into the same gap in the logic. Marceline was right. There was no way to predict the future that they were in.

Predict the future that they were in.

Predict the future.

“What if that’s exactly what they did?”

“ _What?_ ”

Felicia hadn’t realized that she had verbalized her thoughts “What if they did predict—no, see the future?”

There was a pause on the other line “ _Felicia…you’re not making any sense. What you’re talking about is clairvoyance_.”

“Not exactly…” Felicia said “I think the enemy we’re facing up against has the power to implant ideas into our minds.”

“ _What? Where did that come from?_ ”

Felicia rubbed her head, which was starting to feel heavy “I don’t know. I just…”

The blonde couldn’t find the words to convey her feelings. She genuinely did not know why she thought of that, or even why she had said what she said. It was ridiculous, and she knew that.

“ _Felicia, you’re not thinking clearly_ ,” said Marceline “ _I want you to keep in constant contact after Ariana figures out to make a four-way connection with all of us._ ”

“I…” the blonde paused “Okay.”

* * *

Screams. Destruction. Death. Fear. Panic.

The sounds of these flooded the city and more, creating a deafening crescendo of chaos.

Crystal looked up in horror “N-No way…!” she stuttered in disbelief “They…turned into…!”

Jamie shook the debris from her head “What the fuck?!” she cried out in both anger and shock.

Kendall shuddered “How? They’re the Rose Pluses?”

“They’re traitors…” Mario grumbled, clenching his fists angrily.

Upon gathering themselves, the four independently began their attack on the beasts.

Jamie was the first to clamber up a house and take aim at India. She shot a round of bullets all across the pink woman’s front side, but all of them were deflected with loud crackling noises.

India inclined her head as if to regard her chest, then swatted at Jamie. The Irish woman leaped away just in time, growling “Dammit, what the hell!”

Mario saw the entire thing as he soared towards his target. He stopped short and landed on a nearby rooftop “ _I forgot. They can crystalize their skin_ ,” he thought.

Crystal launched herself to the same rooftop, stopping at the brunette’s side “How are we going to fight them?” she panted “Even when they’re not looking, they just seem to know to where to protect themselves.”

Both of them watched as Kendall and Jamie swarmed around the two Pluses.

“There _has_ to be an opening,” insisted Mario “An Achille’s Heel.”

“I tried that, too. It didn’t work,” stated Crystal “Do we just keep attacking until something does?”

“We can’t sit by and let them do as they please, but…” Mario squinted “There’s something odd about their behavior.”

Crystal stepped up and stared at the brunette “E-Everything is odd about this, Mario!”

“No, but look,” asserted the male “They swatted all of us away like gnats, but they’re not doing that to Kendall.”

Crystal looked as Kendall neared Antonia. The woman shot at the Plus before her large hand reached out to snatch her from the air.

“Crystal, wait…!” Mario gasped as the petite girl jumped back into battle with the others.

Judging by the fiery determination in her turquoise eye, Mario knew what her motive was.

A frown creased his brows “ _Damn, where are the other soldiers?_ ” he thought in frustration as he looked at the military base.

He then looked back at the Pluses before him and made a final decision.

The man waited for the perfect moment to strike, then he swung foot first into the squabble. The male crashed into Kendall, their lasers releasing their grips from the buildings around them and retracting back into their P.L.A.Y. buttons. They tumbled into the dirt where crowds of fleeing citizens threatened to trample them.

Kendall groaned from beneath Mario and looked up in confusion “Huh? Mario, what are you—?!”

“You have to run,” ordered the male.

“What?”

“We’re not their target. India and Antonia are only after _you_. Run!”

Kendall opened her mouth to speak, but gave her trust a simple nod “Alright,” she said.

Mario climbed off of her and the woman hastened into the crowd.

The Rose Pluses took immediate notice.

“Don’t let them get to her!!” Mario called out as he readied his gun.

Kendall felt the Pluses run in her direction. She was in the crowd of people, but it wasn’t enough. As she ran, she discarded her black uniform jacket.

The crowd began to disperse as people went in separate ways. Kendall knew she was more visible now. With that in mind, she reluctantly unhooked her P.L.A.Y. button, letting it fall behind her with a loud clatter. She followed the most amount of people that separated from the crowd.

“ _Where?_ ” she thought “ _Where can I hide? The underground ruts along the walls are too far away. Can I even make it?_ ”

Meanwhile, the Rose Pluses progressed in their pursuit of Kendall. They were significantly slowed down by the three remaining soldiers distracting them. While they carefully searched around the destroyed town, they swatted away the youths with increasing aggression.

Kendall dashed into the open door of a modest home. Its inhabitants had abandoned it once the commotion had started, leaving it open for the brunette. She instinctively shut the door behind her and ducked into a corner, despite the fact that her pursuers wouldn’t notice such minute details.

Soldiers like Kendall had always been told that if push comes to shove, one can allude Pluses inside a nearby home or building. Due to the Pluses’ size, they would be unable to notice such a small movement. It would be like a person trying to track down where an ant had scurried off to. Pluses were also hindered with dulled senses and a lack of intelligence in general.

Kendall waited as the muffled sound of thundering footsteps shook the ground. The Pluses outside were different. They were much bigger. They were much stronger. And most of all, they were once young women that she was talking to just moments ago.

The footsteps stopped for a moment, leaving only the sounds of her friends zooming through the air. Kendall lifted her head to listen more carefully.

“ _Did they…do it?_ ”

The ceiling exploded above the woman. Wood, shingles, and other debris rained heavily upon her. Before she could even register what that meant, coldness enveloped her entire body and held her tight. She gasped as she was lifted out of the house and into the air.

It was there that she realized that what held her body was a hand, a giant magenta hand. She stared in shock at the smooth magenta face that glared down at her.

“Kendall!”

Crystal’s shrill screech broke the brunette out of her reverie. All of her friends stared at the scene with horror in their wide eyes. 

The Pluses both began to move, taking Kendall with her as she struggled against the vice around her body.

Jamie bared her teeth in a feral glare “You sons of bitches!” she cried out as she started manically firing at the Plus’ wrist “Let her go, dammit! Let her go!”

“Jamie, calm down. Pay attention to your aim!” scolded Mario.

Regardless, all three soldiers’ bullets were equally deflected by crystalizing skin as the Pluses calmly walked away.

“ _Where are they going?_ ” thought Crystal as they followed them “ _They’re heading straight for the Net, but_ …”

“They’re going for the Net,” stated Mario “We’ll have an opening when they’re trying to break it open. Get ready.”

“Roger that!” afford Jamie as she jet forward.

However, as the three soldiers trailed behind the Pluses, something happened that none of them could have expected.

The Rose Pluses phased through the Net.

Their bodies smoothly melted into the purple barrier, ripples surrounding them like a pebble that had been thrown into a pond. When they had gone through, the Net was back to its smooth appearance. It happened so fast and so smoothly that it felt like a hallucination.

Mario planted his feet on the Net, shocked by the feeling of solid resistance after what he had just seen. His cocoa brown eyes were blown wide, and his mouth was left agape.

“ _It’s…no_ …” he thought “ _That’s impossible_ …”

The brunette looked up the Net’s height, the blinding bright sky above shining down upon him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so tempted to make a joke about Kendall being Princess Peach or the woman that King Kong kidnapped.


	17. Chapter 17

A dull ache resounded within Kendall’s skull. Her cocoa brown hair showered around her face. Vision and awareness were slow to come, sliding into her mind in small slithers. Even before she could realize that it was pain that she was feeling, dry moans escaped her thick lips. When it finally all came to her, she awoke with a gasp.

Kendall’s eyes were wild as if she were still stuck in the chase. Her throat felt raw from the heavy breaths she took and the screaming that came afterwards. The woman’s mind began to fill with both memories of the past and new information about her surroundings.

She remembered the ground growing farther and farther away from her as she looked at the pearly white tiles beneath her feet.

She remembered the cold pressure of India’s hand around her body as she shifted uncomfortably in the restraints strapping her to the chair.

She remembered how thin the air seemed to get when she was carried off as she looked at the pale blue tiled walls around her. They felt too close. The room she was in had to be at least a meter squared.

Kendall grit her teeth and lifted up her head.

She gave an agonized cry.

* * *

Felicia could feel her tailbone pinch, indicating just how long she had been sitting down. With reluctance, she lied down on her stomach. Instant relief flooded the lower half of her body.

It had felt like hours since she had last heard from any of the other women. A part of her worried that expressing her concerns to Marceline may have created distrust between them.

“ _She probably thinks I’m delusional_ ,” thought Felicia “ _After hearing what I just said, who wouldn’t?_ ”

Her shoulders jerked upwards as a voice suddenly entered her headset.

“ _Hey Felicia?_ ”

The blonde rested a hand on her beating heart. It was only Ariana.

“Yes, Lieutenant?” she answered with a weary breath.

“ _The girls and I were talking about how to get to the Incognito Tab just now._ ”

“So, what’s the plan?” Felicia eagerly inquired.

“ _Well…that’s where it gets complicated_ ,” Ariana started “ _Have you noticed that you and Tabetha managed to get into the Monotone server without having to complete all of the challenges?_ ”

Felicia’s brow furrowed in bemusement “You mean, the two of us were each supposed to complete the challenges in her note?”

“ _The key word is “were”_ ,” said Ariana “ _When Marceline and I went in, I installed a gateway that would take us straight into the Monotone server and deactivate after it detected four players—us—had entered. That way, no one could follow us_.”

“Ohh, oh!” Felicia nodded as she took in the information. It was a brilliant plan, she thought, but her admiration fell short upon hearing the next words.

“ _That might have contributed to our problem now_ ,” said the English woman “ _Since what I did was essentially cheating, our punishment might have been to get separated. It seems just since this makes our mission a great deal harder._ ”

The blonde tensed, anxiety creeping up her spine “Then what do we do? This system seems to know what we’re trying to do.”

“ _Sadly, yeah_ ,” admitted Ariana “ _This plan was rushed and we weren’t given much, but we worked with what we had and look how far we’ve made it_.”

Felicia straighten, as if being corrected by a parent on her ill behavior.

“ _Our plan right now is just to explore and find secrets_ ,” said the English woman “ _Solve any puzzles that you find. Defeat any enemies that look at you wrong. Even if a single pixel looks out of place, try to fiddle around with it and see what happens_.”

Felicia nodded, knowing the action couldn’t be seen from her headset “You got it, Lieutenant.”

Ariana’s pleased laugh tickled her ears. It was truly good to have her lieutenants back.

* * *

The three young adults exploded into the room, immediately being subdued by the nearest Youtube Heroes.

“Call the troops! They took Kendall! Those bitches took Kendall!” Jamie struggled to jump over the heavy arms of the red-clad individuals.

Mario growled “Let us get a goddamn word in before you arrest us…!” Although much more tame than the Irish woman, his frustration and panic were still present in his shaking words.

“Please, there’s been an emergency!” cried out Crystal “The Rose Pluses took Kendall outside of the Net!”

Regardless, all three were dismissed.

“On the floor, now.”

The Youtube Heroes stepped aside at the sound of the assertive voice. Their prideful grimaces transformed into neutral expressions of respect. When the three soldiers saw the man before them, they knew why.

He wasn’t old, but there were signs of age that seemed ironically off-set by his unnaturally silver hair. His sturdy body donned a black uniform with red, blue, green, and yellow accents.

“ _You_ , soldiers,” his voice boomed, though his assertion couldn’t be called an exclamation.

Crystal winced and cowered as Jamie flinched back in surprised irritation. Mario only narrowed his eyes.

The silver-haired man scowled at them and pointed behind himself “Along this wall, here, with the rest of your comrades.”

Upon standing aside, the three youths were able to see the rest of the room. The sight of which rendered them all speechless.

Soldiers sat along the walls with their knees hugged up to their chests. They sat hip to hip with one another, only leaving empty space for doors. The few that didn’t fit into that alignment awkwardly sat in clumps at certain areas. Some looked tired. Some looked frightened. Most were conversing with their neighbors to pass the time.

“We left only three hours ago…” hushed Crystal “When did they do this?”

“Get in where you fit in,” grunted the large man as the three were ushered towards the walls.

The seated soldiers scooted along the linoleum floors to make room for them. Out of the three, Mario felt the most awkward sitting down on the floor like a child. Despite their age, it looked much more appropriate for the petite Jamie and Crystal.

His eyes shifted around his lowered surroundings. At his new level, everyone’s conversations were privy to his ears.

“How long is this going to take?”

“I hope they catch this guy already.”

“Just watch it be a false alarm.”

“They’re so paranoid.”

Curious, Mario addressed the person beside him with a “Do you know what’s going on?”

The person turned to regard him “They said that there’s a spy among us and they’re trying to find out who it is. They’ve locked down the entire base to make sure no one gets out.”

Subtle unease lined Mario’s features. There didn’t seem to be a period of rest at all, just one debacle after another. In the amount of time it took for him and the other two women to return to the base, Kendall was long gone. Now, at the rate this lock down was going, Kendall’s well-being was probably…

Mario decided not to continue that train of thought.

“It’s her, sir.”

After that single statement, a relatively small commotion blossomed nearby. Mario looked over to see several soldiers hurry out of the way as two Youtube Heroes took hold of a panicked figure.

His mouth dropped when he realized that it was Crystal. The small woman looked helpless and confused within the red-clad arms that pulled her up. Her mouth moved in quiet, unsteady questions towards the Heroes, but neither paid the any mind.

On the other side of the room, Jamie leaped to her feet “Are you… fucking kidding me?!” she growled “You’re not gonna take another one of us!”

As predicted, Jamie was captured before she could stomp her way over to Crystal’s aid. Before she could even begin to resist, a spark landed on her side and her body went limp. The other soldiers gasped in horror and backed away like caged animals, some trembling against one another.

Mario watched as the two females were carried away without any resistance. They were getting more aggressive with the soldiers, he noticed. Now they were truly regarded as potential criminals.

“Alright everyone. The lockdown has been lifted. You may resume your activities.”

Slowly, soldiers started standing up, but didn’t move otherwise. The hallway filled with the whispers of their quivering worries and insecure fears.

Mario, however, stayed silent.

He no longer had anyone to talk to.

* * *

“Wait, where are you taking me? Where are we?! Please, answer me! We’re so far away from the base, I don’t understand!”

Crystal yelped as she was harshly thrown into a large metal box. The hatch closed before she could even lift her head up. It was nearly pitch black inside, but Crystal could make out the shadows of a few crates. The woman closed her eyes and adjusted her vision.

She saw that she was in a rectangular space that could have amounted to three bedrooms. The inside was silver with ridges lining the sides.

“They put me in a shipping container?” she breathed.

The woman squealed as the space around her began to move, causing her to fall back down. She then felt the container settle back down. Outside, people could be heard talking and moving around.

“Help! There’s someone in here! Help me!” Crystal cried out.

The young woman then ran up to a wall and pounded her fists on it “I’m trapped in here, someone help!”

Eventually she was met with a harsh slap on the other side of the metal “ _Pipe down! Nobody’s gonna save you!_ ”

Crystal backed away as the men outside jeered in laughter, mocking her current state. Whoever they were, they clearly had the same goals as the people that arrested her. Perhaps they were even the same people, she wondered.

The floor beneath her began to rumble as the sounds of their laughter faded away. Sunlight poured in through the tiny cracks within the container.

Crystal rested on her knees, her eye wide with disbelief “ _They strapped me on to a truck_ ,” she realized.

The woman then gasped and jumped to her feet, turning around.

Across from her, a young man smiled “I would’ve thought you’d notice me sooner,” he casually strode over to Crystal “What with your night vision and all.”

The first thing Crystal noticed about the man was his sterling blue hair. Unlike anyone she had seen recently, he wore a casual ensemble of a black and blue jacket, grey jeans, and a pair of blue sneakers. Although he had an attractive face, malicious intent was etched into his features.

“W-W-Who are you?” Crystal squeaked.

The man’s calm brown eyes bounced slightly “Eh? You don’t remember me?” he put a hand to his chest “C’mon, you really don’t remember our chance encounter in Bullet Royale? You were wearing a pretty sexy skin suit.”

The short female gasped, instinctively covering her chest is if her clothes had suddenly vanished from her body.

“The name’s Monty, doll face,” the man laughed “It’s good to see you again.”

The woman steeled herself “W-Why are you here…? In Youtube?”

“Oh, I don’t work for Youtube,” Monty dismissed “I work for Google Plus.”

Crystal didn’t recognize the name “Google… _Plus_?”

“You heard right,” Monty declared, placing a hand on his hip “I’m sure you’ve noticed our logo on those orange giants.”

As soon as those last two words hit Crystal’s ears, everything clicked “You’re responsible for the Pluses…?!”

Monty smirked “You got it. But it’s not like that information will ever leave this container.”

A faint “What?” barely escaped Crystal’s pale lips.

“Hey, who was it that undid my hack?” the blue-haired man nonchalantly dug around in his pocket “Was it that skinny chick? Maybe I’ll send you after her first.”

“What are you talking abo—?” Crystal’s words were cut short as her arm was firmly yanked forward while Monty’s palm was pressed to her eyepatch.

A bronze gauntlet adorned the man’s hand, and electricity pulsed through it and into Crystal’s concealed eye. The female twitched helplessly against Monty, her uncovered eye wavering in shock as her mouth gaped.

All the while Monty poured a casual glance down upon her form “It’s kinda disappointing, heh. You’re about as frail as any human your size would be. Hmph, what’s the point in making a robot girl if she’s the same as a regular girl?” he said with a frown “Ol’ Kratz promised that I’d get to have you all to myself after this is over, though,” he bragged “So if _that_ part of you is just like a regular girl’s, too, then I guess I can’t really complain. I wonder if you’ll scream or cry.”

Monty laughed “I guess in a few hours, we’ll find out.”

* * *

Tabetha tugged at the lime green cat suit with a sigh. She hoped that her lieutenants would come to her with some news. Frankly, she didn’t like walking around in such a large, empty space.

“I’ll be ancient history by the time I find a _pixel_ to mess around with,” she sarcastically grumbled to herself.

A strange noise breached her ears. Immediately, Tabetha rushed to the source of the sound and gasped at what she saw around the corner.

There stood Crystal just meters away.

“Crystal? Is…is that you?” Tabetha squinted at the sight to assure herself that it wasn’t an illusion. A smile spread across her face when she realized that it was genuine “It is you! You have made it into the Monotone Server! Are the others here with you?”

“No.”

It was then that Tabetha’s smile began to melt away. Crystal was, indeed, standing right in front of her, but something was wrong. Her body was rigid and her hands were clenched at her sides. Tremors racked her entire being and her jaw was set tight in what looked like a combination of pain and restraint.

The brunette reached out instinctively “Crystal, are you okay?”

“Tabetha, I…” the petite female’s eye turned vermillion red as a stream flowed from it “I’m so sorry for what’s about to happen.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monty is based on Sly Blue from DRAMAtical Murder. I aimed to basically make him a version of Sly that people would actually be afraid of. So he has Sly’s personality with the addition of a fetish for technology and detachment from humanity.


	18. Chapter 18

Kendall licked her lips, wishing that she could have had something to drink. She couldn’t tell how long she had been in the room, but she knew that at least an hour had passed since she had woken up.

A relieved whine laced with desperation slipped past her lips when the door before her opened. Finally, someone was coming. The idea of that person being anything but benevolent didn’t even cross her mind. She just wanted something to fill the silence and add company to the void.

The brunette shivered when Antonia and India entered the room.

“Hey there,” greeted the former in an all-too-chipper voice “Kendall, was it?”

The woman frowned in response, her teeth bared in anger.

Antonia laughed “I was just kidding, geez!” she rubbed her arms “Brrrgh, sure is cold in here, huh?”

“Yes,” India agreed “One could catch hypothermia in here if they weren’t too careful.”

Kendall watched as the more stoic woman circled her chair, seemingly studying the room through her magenta-rimmed glasses.

“Where are we?” the bound woman asked.

Without stopping, India replied “The bottom of the ocean.”

Kendall squinted in disbelief “What…?” To her, it sounded like a joke response to her genuine question. Had she been in another situation, Kendall would have laughed.

“Specifically, the Marigold Ocean,” India then smirked “Oh, you weren’t planning to escape, were you? I mean, I’m sure that if your body could actually withstand that level of water pressure, you could make it out of here.”

Kendall gripped the arms of her chair “What do you mean we’re at the bottom of the ocean? We can’t be!”

“What? You’re not gonna believe us unless we throw you out there?” snarked Antonia “Sounds good to me.”

“Unfortunately, we have to keep her alive,” India stopped and rested a hand on her hip “Apollyon said she’d make a “beautiful test subject”.”

Antonia rolled her eyes with a dismissive “Whatever…”

Kendall stared at the two, wide-eyed “Apollyon? Who?” she shook against her binds “Is he the one behind all this?!”

India turned to her with an amused grin “Oh, you’re actually smarter than we gave you credit for,” she commended “Though, none of that information will help you considering your position.”

Kendall gulped “What does…he want with me?”

“To further his experiments on the human subconscious and thought processes,” explained India “In exchange, he will remove you from Felicia’s memory again.”

“Again?” It took Kendall a moment to realize what her words had meant, but then she remembered something.

* * *

_"Huh?" was all the blonde could muster as a response._

_"I was afraid I wouldn't see you after we got out of that training camp," the girl continued. Noticing Felicia's confusion, the girl's face faltered "It's me, Kendall. I know it's been a whole year since we got out and everything but you haven't forgotten, have you?"_

_Suddenly regretful that she had made this girl feel forgotten, Felicia decided to play along and say "Of course, Kendall. Sorry, things have been pretty hectic this past year for me. That time in the training camp is a blur to me now."_

* * *

“ _When Felicia didn’t recognize me_ …” she thought “ _That was…Apollyon’s doing?_ ”

Immense fear gripped at Kendall’s being. The idea that this man had somehow infiltrated something as personal as her friendship with Felicia was chilling. If it hadn’t been for the two women before Kendall, Apollyon’s deed would have gone by without a single trace, as if that, too, had been erased from history.

“Though, it wasn’t foolproof at the time since you were somehow able to bring back those memories,” India said this with notable disgust “It seems that we’ll have to request that Apollyon removes your memories of Felicia, too. Perhaps even other people’s memories of your friendship.”

Kendall shook her head, unable to believe what she had heard. This was ludicrous, she thought. The lengths that these two were willing to go to have Felicia exclusively were inane.

“Is that why you let Apollyon do that to you…?” she murmured without lifting her head to look at the women “Use your bodies as weapons…by turning you into Pluses?”

Despite the grim and almost tragic tone of Kendall’s voice, both females exchanged knowing grins.

“ _Alpha_ Pluses,” corrected Antonia.

Kendall closed her eyes “All for Felicia?” she bowed her head even lower “You killed people today. You killed your own soldiers. What makes you think Felicia would want any of this?!”

A sharp hand cut across Kendall’s face, causing her to finally lift her head back up as fresh tears caught in her lashes.

India stared at her with an almost listless expression “You have no place to speak of her character, not here,” her voice was contrastingly sweet and calm.

Antonia stepped forward with a prideful grin “You’re in our domain now. No one’s gonna back you up in here.”

* * *

“Tab…etha…” Crystal’s body twitched unnaturally “Run…run!”

The brunette turned and ran in the opposite direction as Crystal darted for her.

Tabetha was surprised when she reached a dead end, the reflective walls of the area unable to properly show depth or distance. She stopped before the wall and saw Crystal’s blurry reflection behind her. As a last minute effort, Tabetha flipped out of the away just as the girl lunged towards her, leading her to punch a deep crater into the wall.

“ _That increased strength_ ,” Tabetha looked over her shoulder as she ran “ _It can’t be…someone has hacked her again?!_ ”

The brunette reached for her sword talisman, only to scoff when she reached for her bare collarbone.

Tabetha gripped the top of an upcoming barrier and flipped herself over it. She tumbled under the next floating barrier and kicked it in Crystal’s direction. Both slowed the pursuing girl’s path.

Tabetha leaped up an ascending row of platforms. They alternated between rising and lowering at an even tempo, forcing her to stop occasionally and time her jumps. Naturally, Crystal followed behind without missing a beat.

Tabetha’s being trembled when she came to the final platform. Even when it lowered, it was still too high to jump down safely.

“No m…no more…”

Tabetha turned around to see Crystal stagger towards her. Her expression was empty and her body was shaking.

“I…want to end this…” the girl reached up to her pokerface eyepatch, her fingers slipping around the smooth surface “I want…to take matters…into my own…hands…for once…”

As her fingers dug into her eyepatch, a sickening crack could be heard, causing Tabetha to flinch. The brunette was paralyzed with fear, not understanding what was happening, but still feeling the discomfort of the rigid action.

“My talisman…isn’t meant to defend me…” Crystal’s words gained more solidity, but her body continued to tremble from pain “It’s meant to protect…others from me.”

Tabetha gasped as the girl yanked the eyepatch away, revealing not an eye, but dozens of wires connecting it to the inside of her cranium.

“I don’t know much…about who my father was after I was “reborn”…but I knew that he had created me…with an immense amount of potential power…Power that could be corrupted if provoked by…unfortunate situations…”

Crystal then wailed in agony as she continued to pull her eyepatch away. It was in that moment that Tabetha finally realized what the happening.

“Crystal! Cease this!” Tabetha exclaimed “This is illogical! Nonsensical!”

The petite female hunched over, gritting her teeth together, but still tugging on the eyepatch.

Tabetha rushed to Crystal, gripping her arms in an attempt to stop her.

“Stop this at once! Please!” she begged.

Crystal gave one last yank, forcefully ripping the pokerface from her eye socket.

Tabetha cried out in horror. Artificial blood sprayed onto her chest and face, leaving an oily, mechanical odor.

Dangling, torn wires sprouted from Crystal’s eye socket, sparks flying from each one. Her body fell into Tabetha’s arms, twitching and spasming.

“Crystal…” tears pooled into the brunette’s eyes “Crystal…”

* * *

“ _Player 3 has won without taking any damage points_ ”

Felicia gasped, looking away from the wall she was inspecting.

“ _Tabetha_ …” she thought.

The blonde then hurried to tune in her headset.

As soon as the static buzzing in her ears was halted by a click, Marceline’s voice came through “ _I’m presuming you heard that announcement, too?_ ”

“Yeah, and I’m sure it was Tabetha,” Felicia rattled off “But I think she’s in danger.”

“ _Wait, slow down_ ,” said Marceline “ _Are you saying you were able to meet with her?_ ”

“No, but…”

“ _But what?_ ” thought the blonde.

Her silence beckoned Marceline’s own response “ _What makes you think she’s in danger? Or that she’s Player 3?_ ”

Felicia was suddenly overcome with a sense of gusto “Go contact her and see for yourself!” she encouraged.

She could hear Marceline begin to say something on the other end, but all that came forward was “ _Alright, I’ll get back to you if I hear anything_.”

A second click ended their conversation, leaving Felicia alone with her thoughts again. These thoughts had been pestering her with unnatural feelings of dread. Rather than vague speculations of her situation, they were definite claims of tragedy and despair.

“ _Tabetha is scared._ ”

“ _Two women have been arrested. One of them was violated before the arrest and died  in agony shortly afterwards_.”

“ _Mario is overcome with hopelessness._ ”

“ _Someone is trapped_.”

Felicia clutched her head with a tired groan. Why? Why was she thinking such things? Where did these thoughts come from? Why were they only predicting woes instead of giving her the answers she needed in order to set things right?

And why did one voice continuously insist that India and Antonia were “traitors”?

* * *

“Ah, here it is!” Antonia triumphantly held up Kendall’s hairpin, satisfied when the bound woman grunted as a few strands of her hair were snatched with the motion.

India raised a brow, unimpressed “ _That’s_ her talisman?”

“That’s what mine’s saying,” Antonia tugged on the white arrow pinned to her lapel, which shined brightly.

India glanced down at the hot pink arrow-shaped light blinking from beneath her own sweater, “There’s no mistaking it,” she agreed.

“Didn’t CinnamonToastKen have a toast icon or something?” questioned Antonia as she fiddled with the hairpin.

“He did,” confirmed India “But he also had a trademark bear hat. Regardless, the Rilakkuma pin _does_ seem like a bit of a stretch.”

The bespectacled woman presented her open palm and allowed her partner to place the hair pin upon it. With nonchalant eyes, she dropped the item to the floor and cracked it under her heel.

Kendall gasped and jumped against her restraints, her eyes filled with dismay.

India knelt down to pick up a square item among the shattered fragments.

“Clever,” she said, pinching a small plastic toast piece “You may have been able to hide your identity from the soldiers in plain sight, but not from us.”

Kendall frowned stubbornly “Why do you even want my talisman when you both have your own?” she asked “Just the two of you combined could get to the Incognito Tab without a problem.”

India traced her fingers over the arrow-shaped bump beneath her shirt “Even separately, our talismans are enough to complete all of the challenges,” she said “But we’re not after the Incognito Tab.”

“The paradise Apollyon offered us is worth a thousand Incognito Tabs,” bragged Antonia.

Kendall opened her mouth to speak again, knowing already what that “paradise” entailed, but she didn’t want to get slapped again. She also didn’t want to hear exactly how Felicia would fit into that paradise. Kendall knew that their love for the blonde was anything but ordinary. It was downright fetishizing. To them, she was a token, a possession to be treasured and fawned over.

“ _They don’t see her the way I do_ ,” thought Kendall “ _They don’t…love her the way I do._ ”

The buxom woman swallowed thickly at the dangerous thought. No, she told herself, her emotions were just running high because of the situation. There was no way that those feelings that she felt in the training camp, the ones that had returned upon meeting her again in Youtube, could have been anything but platonic.

“Eh, I’m sure Apollyon can find _some_ use for this thing,” insisted Antonia as she took hold of Kendall’s talisman.

“I doubt it,” countered India “Not unless his new world still has use for Bullet Royale.”

Kendall’s ears pricked at the phrase “N-New world?” she repeated without thinking.

Both captors looked at her, then at one another.

Antonia rolled one shoulder “I really don’t feel like telling the whole spiel.”

“Indeed, it is a rather long story,” India side-eyed Kendall, as if contemplating how she wanted to proceed “Telling her won’t benefit anyone. It would just be a waste of time. Instead, we should let the end result answer her question…if she lives to see it.”

Antonia gave a blithe laugh, as if she were actually told a real joke.

It didn’t surprise Kendall. Whether these two meant what they said or not, their sadistic claims were nothing but a joke to them. Though, her fear remained. The women before her had blood on their hands and here they stood, laughing at the concept of adding more crimson coating.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the extremely slow updates, everyone. Recently, I've fallen out of interest with fanwork and Youtubers, in general. As a lot of you may have noticed, I've been investing heavily in my original content. Still, I feel obligated to complete fan fictions like AOG+ and Take Care since they've gained a lot of attention. Also, I have endings planned for them both, so it'd be a complete waste to just drop them. Unfortunately, bridging the gap between the climax of the story to the ending is taking a LOT longer than I had anticipated since it's the most important part. Thank you for your patience!

Only mere minutes had passed when a click sounded in Felicia's ear again followed by the white noise of an open receiver.

"Hello? Lieutenant?" Felicia greeted when she didn't hear a voice right away. She could safely assume it was either Ariana or Marceline since she hadn't heard from Tabetha yet.

Her guess would be proven right when the latter's voice spoke softly.

"... _You were right, Felicia. Tabetha was recently under attack by Crystal._ "

The blonde's heart dropped as she realized just what she had been told. It didn't feel real. Had Marceline declared this in her even, authoritative tone, this would have been easier to digest, but instead, Felicia heard a tone she had never heard in Marceline's voice: fear.

"Wh-What? How?!" Felicia stammered "Why?!"

" _She was corrupted,_ " Marceline answered " _Ariana was able to get a three-way conversation with Tabetha and I, and Tabetha told us about the attack._ "

"Corrupted? Like a computer virus? Someone tampered with Crystal's coding?"

Instead of answering, Marceline hesitated for a brief moment, then asked " _Felicia…how did you know?_ "

"I-I-I don't know…! I don't know how I knew!" floundered the soldier "I just, it was like a feeling, like I was sorta there with them."

She put her hands to her mouth to keep her unstable words from flooding over into more nonsense.

When she was sure that she had calmed down enough to speak rationally, she said "It's like they were crying out for help."

" _Felicia!_ "

Suddenly, Ariana's voice jumped out through the headset, causing the already shaken blonde to startle.

" _I've added everything together and I think I know what's happening_ ," rattled off the English lieutenant without even waiting for Felicia's response " _I believe that what Felicia is experiencing is morphic resonance._ "

"Morphic resonance?" echoed the soldier in question.

" _I've noticed that recently, I've been finding strange wave signals coming from Felicia's part of the headset whenever I tried to modify our connections. I've figured out that they're brain waves_ ," explained Ariana " _It made me think of what Marceline had told me earlier, how Felicia wondered if she was having information sent to her mind_."

" _So that's it?_ " asked Marceline " _Someone is remotely tampering with Felicia's headset?_ "

" _No, no, morphic resonance isn't hacking,_ " denied Ariana " _It's best explained as "accidental telepathy". Morphic fields act as communications pathways for people who are separated by a factor like distance. They transport information through vibrations and rhythmic activity._ "

The sudden jargon twisted Felicia's brain, leaving her lost in translation.

"... _Ah, correct me if I'm wrong,_ " started Marceline " _But it sounds like long-distance empathy. When Tabetha was in danger, Felicia could sense her fear. Almost like she was sensing her spirit or aura._ "

" _Basically, yeah_ ," confirmed Ariana " _Like, think of the last time you caught someone staring at you. Could you feel their stare before you looked over at them? Even that, itself, is an instance of morphic resonance_ "

A chill ran down Felicia's spine. The uneasy feeling that had crept over her being had been present ever since she had entered the current space. She had initially summed it up to the danger of her situation, but now she was curious as to how much of that unease stemmed from a pair of eyes studying her.

" _The question is, what's enabling this connection?_ " posed Marceline " _And why is it only Felicia who's receiving these thoughts?_ "

" _I can't say. Felicia, has this ever happened to you before?_ " asked Ariana.

Realizing that she hadn't spoken ever since the new topic was introduced, Felicia croaked "N-No...this is the first time. Maybe it has to do with this place."

" _I wouldn't be surprised_ ," said Marceline " _To say we're in unknown territory is an understatement. Anything is fair game here._ "

" _Felicia, be sure to report any more "messages" you get, okay?_ "

The blonde gulped, feeling her heart thump against her cold chest "Yes, lieutenant."

* * *

"Good news, we got the Irish chick's talisman, too!" Antonia whistled as she twirled a necklace with a toxic green eye pendant in her hand "Turns out she got herself locked up for mouthing off at an officer."

Kendall winced as she remembered that moment, hating the amount of amusement Antonia seemed to take in knowing this.

India chuckled "I feel almost embarrassed for her. Compared to Cryaotic's descendent, that's such an indignant way to go."

Kendall lifted her head up in brief curiously.

Antonia snorted "Well, it's not like she got herself killed like Crystal-"

Kendall gasped, her suspicion confirmed.

"What did you do to Crystal?!" she asked, jolting so hard against her restraints that they managed to cut across her skin.

Antonia regarded the bound woman with clear disdain "Chill out, you old sow. Robots can't die," she said "Just take her to the auto-repair shop and fix her up."

Budding tears formed on the corners of Kendall's eyes from both her self-inflicted wound and pure frustration of her situation.

"Anyway, that should be the last of them all, right?" Antonia asked India.

"It should be, yes. We've had over two months to look for the talismans."

"Yeah, but just how many were there to find?"

"It's hard to say. There were a lot of Youtube Legends, but not all of their descendants made it into Youtube. The ones that tried to run away were captured for experiments."

"Wha…?! You mean all those drugged up people downstairs were…?"

India gave a single nod "It's as I said: we're only the government's property to be used as they please," she said with hints of a smirk "And the ones who were too mentally scarred by the training camp were either exterminated or took care of their own lives, themselves. Very tragic."

Kendall grit her teeth together as she listened to the two talk. Morbid words danced off of their tongues with the flavor of a casual conversation. No matter how many times they would say "How unfortunate," or "It's terrible," there was hardly any heart behind their words. It sickened Kendall, made her want to wretch.

" _They really let Apollyon turn them into monsters,_ " she thought.

The door suddenly opened and an unfamiliar face peered inside the room.

"India, Antonia, Apollyon is requesting you," the individual said.

The females exchanged a smile and left the room without any parting words.

Kendall was alone again.

* * *

It was another few hours later when Felicia received another call on her headset. At this point, her stomach was aching for food and she actually missed the monotonous meals that were served to her in Youtube's prison.

Despite how weak she felt, the blonde answered the call.

"Lieutenant?" she greeted.

" _Hi Felicia, it's Tabetha._ "

The woman blinked at the sound of the long lost voice.

"Tabetha, hi! Is everything alright?" she eagerly responded.

A breath of hesitation could be heard on the other side.

" _Uh, well…I'm physically unharmed so I guess that's what matters the most_ ," Tabetha tried for a modest chuckle, but it was still dragged down by despondency.

Felicia inwardly cringed upon realizing how inappropriate her question was.

" _Of course everything's not alright_ ," she thought to herself " _Nothing's been "alright" for weeks._ "

Though, all she could manage to say was "I was worried about you, y'know. Did the lieutenants tell you about...what I felt?"

" _Yes, just now Lieutenant Ariana gave me her theory on morphic resonance._ "

Tabetha's voice was flat, and her statement stood alone without opinion. Felicia knew that the woman was highly intelligent, but she anticipated at least some kind of reaction to the strange theory.

"So? What do you think?" pushed the blonde.

There was a long moment of silence that made Felicia believe that the connection had been broken somehow.

" _I cried._ "

Again, the words were flat, leaving Felicia more confused "Huh? Why? What part of the morphic resonance theory upset you?"

Tabetha huffed " _Nothing. I cried when...I held Crystal's body in my arms._ "

Felicia was left speechless. Her lips were parted with empty words hanging on the tip of her tongue, never coming to sound.

" _I sat there, holding her body for God knows how long. For the first time in my life, I actually couldn't think rationally. Nothing made sense. I couldn't wrap my head around anything that was happening even though it was all perfectly clear._ "

Tabetha went on, Felicia's silence giving her the platform to speak freely.

" _At first, I thought that Crystal's actions were illogical, but then I realized that she was following the creed of a true soldier. Soldiers sacrifice themselves for their team and for the greater good, but…but…dammit!_ "

Felicia jerked at the sudden exclamation. She had heard Tabetha raise her voice before, but this was different. Her voice audibly  _cracked_  under the weight of the emotion.

" _How could she just…do that to herself?!_ " she cried " _She was trying to save me from herself, but she was the one that needed saving! I-I could have helped her!_ "

Felicia stammered to wedge in some kind of input "B-But Tabetha, listen. You're unarmed, and your physical body is in this space, not a virtual one. If you took damage from Crystal here, you wouldn't have lived-"

" _I don't care! Crystal…Crystal killed herself right in front of me, Felicia. She was in so much pain. She_ …"

In the midst of Tabetha's sniffling, a strange sound whisked past Felicia's uncovered ear.

"Hm?" the blonde instinctively turned on her heel, observing her surroundings with a stern eye.

Hearing the hitched breath entering the microphone, Tabetha asked " _F-Felicia, are you still there?_ "

The woman took one last look around before hesitantly returning her attention to her comrade "...Sorry Tabetha, I...could've sworn I just missed someone calling my name…Ah!"

Suddenly, the image of the world around the woman disappeared before her very eyes, like a wave distorting the reflection in the clear waters into…nothing. Unfortunately, she was also swept along with those waves, flailing helplessly as the water pulled her into nothingness. And she allowed it to do so, but not without a final scream ripping through her throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deja Vu with with an exception: In the original scene in the first chapter, it said " the image of the world around the girl disappeared". It's very subtle and I honestly didn't expect anyone to notice, but it's meant to imply that Felicia has matured. (Granted, I think Tabetha had the most character growth out of everyone here but still).  
> Morphic resonance is actually a real thing, not something I made up for the sake of the story. You can look it up and it won't spoil anything for the story. A variation of that was also used in a video game series called Zero Escape.


End file.
